The Silent Partner
by Leah by Michelangelo
Summary: The turtles break into a top secret human laboratory. What they find there is extremely unnerving. Turns out the humans have a mutant in captivity tentatively called Subject SX71364. Raphael makes a decision that will change his life forever. The strange lizard mutant also doesn't speak. Whether she can or not, will take a while for the turtles to discover.
1. Monsters

**The Silent Partner**

 **Ch. 1-Monsters**

Alarms rang and the lights flashed as the turtles ran down dark, twisted hallways. One of them spoke up, "Donnie, you mind telling me again why we're breaking into a 'top-secret' human research center?"

The brainiac glowered over his shoulder at his hotheaded brother as they ran. When he spoke, his voice was whiny and frustrated. It became clear that this wasn't the first time Raphael had asked when the smart turtle exasperatedly muttered, "If you'd listened the first time, I wouldn't have to remind you now."

Raph rolled his eyes. "You didn't dumb it down enough the first time."

"I honestly don't think it's possible to dumb it down enough for you."

The hothead bristled dangerously. He let out a low, throaty growl. "You calling me dumb, Don?"

"This is not the time or place. Both of you can settle this later, for now just back off." The eldest said, placing himself between the two middle siblings.

Suddenly, the sound of nearby voices and running feet came from the end of the corridor. The turtles looked around. Leonardo motioned Donatello towards an unmarked door on their right. The smart turtle hacked the electric lock and all four siblings jumped inside.

It appeared to be some sort of laboratory. Raphael, who had entered first, went further into the room than his brothers, who were still by the door. The red-masked turtle took a few more steps towards a dark corner of the room. Every muscle in the stocky turtle's body tensed and he went completely stock-still. His eyes were wide with shock at what lay before him. The longer the turtle stared the more his blood began to boil. "Help!"

The other turtles' attention was yanked away from the door. Leonardo sprinted to his immediate younger brother's side. Raphael took a few steps backward, colliding with Leo, who put both his hands on the red-masked turtle's shoulders. "Raph, you okay?" As soon as the eldest looked down, he, too, stiffened. "Oh my god."

"Leo?" Don asked, slowly glancing up in his brothers' direction.

"Donatello get the shell over here **now**!" Raph yelled.

Donnie rushed to their side and he, too, recoiled in shock.

On the table was a mutant. A giant…lizard. And judging by the features…a female. She was dangerously thin. Wires connected her to all kinds of monitors and gauges. Her eyes were closed and her skin was pale and unhealthy. Her arms were covered in puncture marks and scars.

Mikey ran up to his older brothers' sides and tears formed in his eyes. "W-what have they done to her?"

Raphael frowned, and his eyes were a fiery neon green. "Experimented on her." Emerald green hands shook with horror, anger, and pain. The hothead had always held a greater disdain for humans than his brothers, and this just served to clinch his already formed opinion. Humans had the nerve to call him and his brothers monsters, yet to Raph, humans never even stopped to consider the fact that their actions made them monsters as well.

Ever so slowly an emerald green hand reached down and stroked the lizard-mutant's cheek gently. "Hey, hey, can you hear me?"

"Raph—" Donnie began. Judging by the severity of the mutant's condition it was very unlikely that she would be capable of answering.

At that moment, the mutant's eyelids fluttered open. Dark, earthy brown eyes stared straight into Raph's soft neon-green ones. All she saw were the caring eyes riveted to her own. A light, shaky breath escaped her lips before her eyelids dropped closed again.

Raph couldn't pull away from her beautiful stare. Those soft, pleading eyes were begging him. Begging him for mercy. He didn't think that she even realized that he wasn't human. All she saw were his eyes. His fists clenched with anger. No one should suffer this way.

Slowly and carefully he began to remove the attachments from her arms, including the monitors. Once that was taken care of he lifted her into his arms bridal style.

Mikey still had tears in his eyes. Leo nodded subtly at Raph's action and began to devise a plan of action.

Donatello frowned. "Raph, she's in bad shape, it's possible she won't even survive. We can't take the risk of—"

"I'm not leaving her to die at the hands of these fiends Donnie. She asked me for help Don. You may not have seen it but I did. And I'm going to help her. No matter what it takes."

Don's jaw snapped shut and he nodded. It wasn't that he didn't respect Raphael for what he was trying to do, but the brainiac just didn't want it all to be in vain.

Leonardo was also a little bit bothered by Raph's decision. Not that it wasn't the right thing to do, quite the contrary. But Leo was worried about Raph. Raphael was much more emotional than he let on. By choosing to protect this girl Raph was taking her under his wing, so to speak. If she died…Raphael would blame himself. And Leo wasn't exactly certain how that would affect the hothead. Raph's inner sensitivity had already been very badly shaken by discovering the female lizard mutant. It could hurt him even further if she were to…

Raphael looked over to his eldest brother and their gazes locked. At that moment Leo knew that there would be absolutely no reasoning with the younger hotheaded turtle. Raph had made up his mind.

Leo nodded again. _We need to get out of here._ He thought gravely. He looked down at the girl in Raphael's arms. _And fast._


	2. Comparing Features

**I was watching a kids show with my five-year-old niece and my three-year old nephew. The show was called Dinosaur Train and in it dinosaurs travel on a train and compare their features. That gave me the inspiration for this chapter.**

* * *

 **Ch. 2-Comparing Features**

About a week passed. Donatello had kept the female lizard mutant on an IV-drip to provide her with the necessary nutrients and hydration. She was still weak, but gradually growing stronger.

At the moment Donatello was updating his brothers on the details of her condition.

Leo and Mikey sat on one couch with Don facing them as he gave his report. Raphael was pacing angrily up and down behind the couch where his eldest and younger brother sat, driving Leonardo insane. It was no secret that Leo didn't particularly enjoy having people stand behind him. As ninjas all of them were hypersensitive to anything and everything, even if the subject in question was out of their sight. Therefore Raph's inability to stand still was wreaking havoc on Leonardo's nerves.

Dark blue eyes narrowed. "Raphael, dammit, just stand still!"

There was a growl before the hothead leaped over the back of the couch and landed next to Michelangelo, seating himself on the opposite end from Leonardo. It was obvious that the hothead was fighting to contain all of his pent up anger and frustration. With a sigh of frustration Raph jumped up and stomped over to the dummy punching bag. A fierce battle cry rang through the lair as he stabbed it repeatedly with his sais.

All three turtles brothers shuddered at the sheer force behind their strong brother's thrusts. Their eyes were wide as Raphael proceeded to pummel the bag with every ounce of fight he had. Just as Raph threw his final punch Sensei emerged from the dojo. "What is going on in here?" The turtle's father bellowed. Then the wise brown eyes fell on the hard, chiseled form of his second son. Raphael's shoulders rose up and down in deep, labored breaths. Bright green orbs glared a furious neon green.

Splinter's angry eyes softened. "Raphael…"

Raph turned away as Splinter attempted to put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Sensei. I just…it makes me so angry that those monsters were able to do this to her. How could they just…? How can anyone be that heartless?"

The old rat lowered his gaze, when he spoke his voice was a mere whisper. "Raphael, for as long as I could I attempted to protect you from the outside, to shield you from the more horrible aspects of human nature. I understand how difficult this must be for you. But do not lose faith in the human race, my son. There is always hope that tomorrow will bring change. Let us hope that those with accepting spirits like April and Casey represent the greater percentage of human kind."

Raph scoffed. "That's a fickle hope."

"And your view is cynical, my child." Splinter responded, refusing to meet Raphael's eyes.

Raphael's green eyes dimmed and darkened. "It's my nature."

"Indeed."

Silence spread over the room. Finally Don cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him.

Raph's eyes narrowed. "What Don?"

"There is no telling how she'll react when she wakes up or how well she'll be able to recover from what was done to her."

Leo's face darkened as he perceived the jist of what the brainiac was talking about. "You mean that she'll be haunted by memories of what happened."

Don nodded solemnly. "Most likely."

"So what do we do?" Mikey asked.

Don opened his mouth to answer, but Raphael cut him off and answered in Don's place. "We comfort her, support her, and we don't push her. She'll tell us in her own good time."

Splinter glanced thoughtfully at his second child. After much deliberation, and a long period of lingering silence, the rat came to a conclusion. "Raphael, you seemed very determined to help her to the best of your ability, my child."

Slowly the hothead nodded. There was a very hard glint in those bright green eyes of his. "Of course I am, Sensei. I saw her pain. No one deserves to live that way. I am going to help her. Those bastards will never hurt her again, I'll protect her. I know she'll be afraid, and it will be difficult to win her trust, but she deserves to have someone she can trust after so many years of hurt."

"Hmm…your words are very heartfelt, my son. You sound as though you have thought a lot about this."

Raph nodded.

"It was also your decision to rescue her, isn't that correct?"

"Hai Sensei." Raphael answered.

The other three turtles exchanged confused glances. Leo was the first to voice his confusion, "Master Splinter, where are you going with all of this?"

Splinter held up a hand to his eldest son, focusing solely on Raphael. "It seems to me, Raphael, that you have already taken the responsibility of being her guardian."

Raph stared at the floor, actively attempting to mask the emotions in his eyes from this father. "I'm only doing what I think is right, Father."

The old rat put a hand on the hothead's shoulder and this time Raph didn't pull away. "I am confident that your judgement is sound, my son. Even so, do not forget to exercise caution."

Raph grinned and nodded.

Now Leo and the others were even more confused. "So Raph's her guardian now?"

Splinter pulled his hand off Raph's shoulder and turned to his other sons. "Yes, my son."

"So…what exactly does that mean?" Michelangelo asked curiously.

"It means that your brother will have full responsibility for our new friend's actions as well as her safety."

Donatello frowned. "Sensei, I hate to object, but Raph has none of the knowledge necessary when it comes to dealing with PTSD."

"What Raphael does not know he will learn from you, Donatello. Also, how long will it be before the young woman awakens?"

The brainiac sighed. "There's no telling really. Anywhere from a few days to another week or so. Her injuries were extensive."

The old rat nodded solemnly. "Understood. Until then you will instruct your brother in the basics of how to handle a trauma victim."

Again, the genius sighed, but this time it was one of exasperation. "Hai Sensei."

* * *

Three days later, their mystery guest began to stir. Donatello hurriedly called all his brothers to the lab. Unfortunately only two of the three showed up. "Where's Raph?" The purple-masked brother asked insistently.

Leo frowned. "Sensei wanted to talk to him in the dojo. What's up?"

"She's waking up."

* * *

As the lizard mutant returned to consciousness she slowly registered the forms of three strange figures looming over her. In a fit of panic and fear she lashed out and realized that she was not being restrained. With desperate haphazard blows she knocked the individuals away from her. She heard one of them grunt in pain and the others immediately stooped down to help him.

The lizard took her chance and threw herself through the doors at the other end of the room. She landed in yet another unfamiliar chamber. Her eyes locked on a door and she hurled herself towards it only to find herself being held back by strong hands.

Her captor whirled them around so that he was now between her and the exit.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy! I'm not gonna hurt you! Listen to me, dammit! I'm trying to help you! Just listen to me! Listen."

The lizard mutant struggled violently in his arms, but eventually her fight died down. After all she was injured, and still quite weak. Slowly she looked up and met the eyes of her captor. _Wait…_ she recognized those eyes.

"Listen." He repeated a final time, bright neon green eyes gleaming in earnest. "It's okay, you're safe here. Nobody's going to hurt you."

Suddenly she realized something else. He was green. In fact, he wasn't a human at all. She relaxed in his grip and stopped fighting. Slowly the green male's hands released her, warily. The lizard canted her head curiously. She reached out and grabbed the emerald green hand and lifted it up. He seemed a little bit taken aback, so the lizard mutant made her intent clear by pressing her hand to his. She looked curiously at his fingers, confused.

Raphael grinned. "Yeah, well…I only got three fingers. It's a turtle thing, I guess."

There was a short moment of inaction before she nodded, as though accepting his answer. She released his hand and her fingers began to feel along his shell.

At that moment Raph's brothers emerged from the lab in a panic. Luckily for him they were behind her back and she showed no sign of noticing them. He subtly gestured them not to come any closer until he said so. The other turtles were very confused as to what was going on, but they kept their mouths shut.

The lizard mutant, meanwhile, was fascinated by the feel of Raph's shell. She seemed to marvel at its hardness. She even raised a fist and knocked on it, as though testing its strength. Then her fingers ran over Raph's scar and he shuddered. She pulled her hand back violently, her eyes filled with fear and apprehension.

Raphael frowned. "No, it's okay." He put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. She flinched a little, but as she looked deeper into his eyes she relaxed even further. "You didn't hurt me. It's just…sensitive."

The lizard nodded, but moved her hands away from the scar, her fingers moving to examine the texture of Raphael's mask. As she fiddled around with the bandana tails he caught her hand gently. She tensed.

He smiled gently. "Just don't untie it."

Again she moved her hands away. The lizard held out her hand. For a moment Raphael was confused.

"What does she want you to do?" Leo asked from behind them.

The lizard whirled around, but as she realized that the other three were all turtles like emerald green one she had just met, and he was ignoring them, she, too, decided it would be safe to ignore them for now. She turned back to the green-eyed one and offered her hand.

Raphael's eyes darkened with understanding. "I think we're comparing features." He took the offered hand and pressed it against one of his own. "I see you have four fingers."

She nodded enthusiastically. Then she turned around and pointed to her tail.

Raph smiled. He liked the kind of childish joy that she exuded. _Wait…what?_ The hothead shook it off. "Yeah, you've got a tail too. That's pretty cool. Can you control it voluntarily or…"

She smiled and flicked her tail over to his belt, grabbing his t-phone and lifting it away with efficacy.

The red-masked turtle smirked. "That's a neat trick."

The lizard mirrored the smirk and handed the phone back to him.

"I'm Raphael." He stated, holding out his hand.

She stared at the hand confusedly for a moment before placing her right out in the same manner a few inches away from his and just let it hang there.

Raph chuckled and gripped her hand, giving it a firm handshake. "It's called a handshake. It's something people do when they meet for the first time."

The lizard nodded and mimicked Raph's action. Raphael smiled.

"So, um, have you got a name?"

The lizard mutant dropped to her knees and swept a small pad and pen up off the floor from where Don had left it earlier that morning. She scribbled something down and handed it to him.

The other turtles gave their hotheaded brother a curious glance. As much as they wanted to come closer, they were afraid it would frighten their new houseguest.

Raph read the paper slowly, "SX71364". His eyes narrowed with anger. "That's what **they** called you, isn't it?"

Slowly she lowered her eyes and nodded.

"Can't you tell me your real name?"

She opened her mouth as though to speak, but no sound came out.

Raph frowned. "You can't talk?"

She nodded again.

"Well, you do have a name, right?"

The lizard mutant refused to meet his gaze and shook her head.

Raph reached out and softly tilted her face up so that he could make eye contact. "Then we'll give you one."

Mikey took that as his cue and shot forward. "Oh, oh, oh I know! How about Izzy!"

Raph's eyes narrowed. The lizard mutant sidestepped behind Raphael, clinging tightly to his carapace.

"What about Cleopatra?" Mikey asked.

The lizard made a gagging face at the suggestion. Raph chuckled. "I don't think she likes that one, Mikey."

"Well then, what about Lizzie? Liz?"

She stuck out her tongue rudely at him. Raph grinned even wider, though he, too, was trying to think up a name. "What about something to kinda go with our names like…I don't know…Mona Lisa, or something?"

Her eyes lit up and she whacked the back of Raph's shell to get his attention.

"I think she's trying to tell you something Raph." Leo said, barely restraining a chuckle.

Donatello also grinned. For someone who had just suffered an extremely traumatic experience she seemed alright. In good time maybe she could live without always having to be fearful of others.

Meanwhile Raph looked back over his shoulder at her. "What is it?"

The lizard smiled and nodded her head at him.

"You like Mona Lisa?" Raph suggested.

She nodded fervently.

The hothead smiled. "Mona Lisa it is then."

Michelangelo deflated, pouting his little heart out. "Awwwwww, I wanted to name her!"

Raph was secretly enjoying that she like the name he came up with better than Mikey's suggestions. "Sorry, little brother."

Leonardo finally stepped forward.

'Mona Lisa' recoiled a little bit, but Raph gripped her hand reassuringly and managed to coax her into moving forward to meet the eldest turtle halfway. She held out her hand awkwardly. Leonardo ignored the awkwardness and shook the offered hand. "It's a pleasure to welcome you into our home, Mona Lisa."

She gave him a shallow nod before returning to Raph's side.

Don muttered, "Well, it's obvious which one of us she trusts the most."

Raph shrugged. "I wouldn't have expected it to be any different. I mean, think about it, Don. She's seen my eyes before, she knows I rescued her, why would she trust anyone else more than me?"

"Hmm. I suppose you have a point."

"Damn straight."

"My sons?" A deep voice echoed from the direction of the dojo.

Mona Lisa jumped back behind Raphael, doing her best to conceal herself.

"Is she awake?" The old rat asked.

Raph nodded. "Hai Sensei. She's right here." The hothead gestured to behind himself. Raph turned around and looked straight down into her eyes. "Don't worry. Master Splinter won't hurt you. He's my father."

Ever so cautiously Mona pulled out from behind Raphael. Her eyes widened in fascination as she set sight on the giant rat. Immediately she rushed over and held up her hand, much the same way she had done with Raph.

"She wants to compare features, Sensei." Raphael explained.

The old rat nodded and offered his hand out to her. As Mona studied Master Splinter's rat form the old rat spoke softly to his sons.

"No adverse reactions so far?"

Raph shook his head. "A little bit of natural fear at first. Strange place, strange people and all of that , but so far she seems to be okay. Energetic little minx though."

Mikey looked confused. "But she's a lizard!"

Raph just rolled his eyes. "It's an expression, Mikey."

"Oh." The youngest said blandly.

"Indeed. She seems to have a very distinct personality." Sensei agreed with his second son.

"She's pretty brave if you ask me. I mean, trusting in people you barely know takes a lot of confidence." Leo stated.

Raph frowned. "I wouldn't say she trusts us. I'd say she's just getting her feel of things. Trust won't come until way later."

The hothead chuckled as Mona tried to examine Sensei's ears and they kept twitching away from her. Eventually the lizard gave up and pouted.

Raph went over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, you're lucky you got that far. I'm amazed he let you past the whiskers."

She smiled a little, and her eyes gleamed. Even without words, Raph knew what that meant: _Thank you._

* * *

 **So what did you think? How was it? Review please!**


	3. A First Timer, Eh?

**Ch. 3-A First Timer, Eh?**

Raph's brothers watched with amusement as their hotheaded sibling attempted to convince Mona Lisa to at least try the pizza. Three days had passed so far and Mona Lisa had proved to be a very picky eater. She liked vegetables of all kinds, particularly carrots. Somehow she had stumbled upon them in the fridge and wasted no time in grabbing them. In fact, the turtles had grown quite used to seeing her poking about the lair with a carrot in her hand. Raphael, who had always detested carrots, would simply roll his eyes and mutter something about how she should have been mutated into a rabbit.

Mona Lisa brought the pizza up to her nose and sniffed it. She eyed it warily, then glanced uncertainly at Raphael.

Raph couldn't help but chuckle at her distressed expression. "Well, go on!"

Mona pushed it away a little and sent Raph a pleading stare. She looked very much like a child who didn't want to eat their spinach.

The hotheaded turtle was stern. "You won't find out whether you like it or not just by smelling it. Just give it a taste."

The lizard mutant was still unsure, but she slowly lifted the pizza to her mouth and nibbled at it. Mona chewed slowly and uncertainly, focusing only on the tast of the food she was consuming.

After a long moment of suspense, on Raph's part, Mona finally looked over at him. Her expression was so serious that the turtle couldn't really tell whether she liked it or not.

All of the turtles stared anxiously at the lizard mutant. Mikey, in particular, was distressed. He'd never met anyone who didn't like pizza before and he really hoped she wouldn't be the first. _I mean, someone who doesn't like pizza, how can they possibly survive?_ He thought to himself.

Mona raised an eyebrow and examined the pizza, before taking a loud, and very large bite.

Raphael smirked. "I told you you'd like it if you tried it."

Leonardo smiled. Raphael was his usual brash self, but he was especially protective towards their guest. Like yesterday afternoon for example…

* * *

 **Flashback**

It was about eight o'clock when Casey Jones came down to visit. Raph was punching a his punching bag and Mona Lisa was seated on the floor in front of the television with Leo. The lizard mutant had never watched television before and she found it absolutely fascinating. She actually enjoyed spending most of her time watching the pictures and images that danced across its colorful surface. At the moment she was crouched behind the eldest turtle with her hands on his shoulders, peering around his shell at the screen.

Raphael assumed this position was mainly due to the fact that the volume was turned up and it was the middle of a battle, so she was just a tiny bit scared. Raph rolled his eyes and went back to the punching bag. _So she's hiding behind Leo for protection, eh?_ The hothead scoffed. _Leo's so absorbed in his stupid show he probably doesn't even realize that she's there._

That was the last thought that crossed his mind before, the next thing he knew, he was sprawled out on the ground, with a hockey-masked human pinning him down to the ground.

Mona jumped up at the sound of the commotion, literally shaking with fright.

Casey lifted his mask and laughed, murmuring something about Raph not seeing it coming.

Mona's eyes were filled with horror at the sight of the human, but she pushed past it and ran to Raph's side. In her haste, her tail knocked over a stack of odds-and-ends that fell with a crash. Leo actually paused the show and tried to figure out what was going on. Mikey emerged from the kitchen, where he was trying to work out some sort of carrot-pizza recipe for Mona. And finally, Donatello poked his head out of the lab with a blow-torch in his hand.

Raph growled and pushed the human off, putting a good three feet of space between them.

Suddenly the hotheaded turtle felt thin hands turning him around. Mona's hands ran over him frantically as though she were searching for injuries, her eyes filled with panic.

Emerald green hands shot out and caught hers, stilling them. He looked directly down into her eyes, and something inside of him cracked. He pulled her into a gentle hug.

The other turtles slowly made their way into the center of the room. When Raph pulled her into a hug their jaws dropped. _Raph hugging someone?! Of his own free will?_ _No way!_

Casey's jaw had also dropped, but for an altogether different reason. "Whoa, another mutant?!" The human reached out towards and Mona recoiled violently.

There were tears in her eyes and she pulled out of Raph's arms and moved behind him. Raph watched her, and he saw the desperation in her eyes. The same desperation he had seen when he first decided to rescue her. Emerald green hands tightened into fists.

Raph used his right hand to hold Casey at bay. "Casey, I think you should go."

Casey's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. "Huh? But I just got here. Don't you wanna go bust some heads?"

The red-masked turtle glanced back over his shoulder at the terrified mutant clinging to his carapace. He sighed. "Sorry Casey, not this time. Please you need to go, you're scaring her."

"Aw, come on, I didn't mean to scare you…" The teenager leaned over to try and address Mona. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I swear." Casey's expression was earnest, and for a moment Mona Lisa peered out from behind Raphael, cautiously.

Raph tensed, but allowed it.

But then Casey made the mistake of reaching out towards her.

Mona jumped back and burst into tears. Raph turned his back to Casey and murmured over his shoulder.

"Casey, please leave. I'll meet you at your place later and explain."

Casey frowned and nodded, taking his best bud's advice and heading out.

"And Casey."

The human turned back to his friend.

Green eyes glinted warningly, "Tell April she needs to stay away too. At least until we get Mona sorted out."

Casey nodded once more before he turned and left.

Mona dropped to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest as she sobbed. The other turtles watched with concern as Raph dropped to his knees to join her. "Eh, Donnie, throw me the tissue box." He stated gruffly.

The brainiac did as he was told.

Raph's instincts were true to form as he caught the tissue box without taking his eyes off of the mutant lizard. He took one of the tissues and helped her dry her tears. Her slow sobs came to a stop as she looked into his eyes.

The emerald green turtle's expression was stern. "C'mon now, toughen up. Big girls like you don't cry."

There were still tears in her eyes. Raphael offered her a gentle smile and soft stroke on the shoulder. Mona Lisa smiled back and did her best to blink the tears away.

Donatello frowned and rolled his eyes. "Technically, crying is an important bodily function that helps regulate emotional wellness."

Raph glared. "Not the time, Don." Neon green eyes softented as he turned back to Mona Lisa. "Mona, there are a lot of things in this world that are scary. We deal with those kinds of things all the time. You can't let those things get you down." Raphael stared stiffly at her and his voice hardened as he went on. "I need you to trust me, Mona. Do you?"

The female mutant stared deep into his eyes and nodded.

"Good. Listen to me. I have friends that are humans. Friends that I trust. If you trust me, then I need you also to trust in my judgment. My friends won't hurt you. These humans are okay. Casey, the one you just met, is one of my friends. And maybe the next time he comes by you could actually shake hands with him. I'm not asking you to trust him, Mona. I'm only hoping that you'll trust in my ability to protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise."

Mona let go of her knees and looked up at him. She looked him straight in the eyes, and nodded. Raphael grinned, stood, and offered her a hand. Mona Lisa took it and Raphael pulled her up roughly.

 **End Flashback**

* * *

…Leo smiled. So far Raphael was taking his responsibility surprisingly well. As the eldest tuned back in on the conversation at hand. Mona Lisa's curiosity appeared to have been peaked by the video games that Mikey was currently amusing himself with. She was looking over his shoulder as he played, trying to figure out what was going on.

Mikey yelled something at the television and Mona jumped back at the youngest turtle's sudden burst of volume.

"Mikey." Leo chided warningly from where he sat on the couch reading comics.

Michelangelo paused the game and glanced over at her. "Hehe…sorry Liz."

Mona's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. Raph stomped over with much the same expression. "Mikey, stop calling her that, it's obvious that she doesn't like it."

"Aw, come on, bro. Cut me some slack! It's just that her name is soooooo looong…" Mikey drawled.

Raph rolled his eyes, "Try Michelangelo on for size."

"Relax Raph, it's just a nick-name, you know, for short."

"You can call her Mona for short."

"Aw but that's no fun!" The youngest pouted.

Raph put his hands on his hips and glared down at his orang-masked sibling as hard as he could. Mikey's eyes skillfully avoided the hothead's scalding glance for a grand total of thirty seconds before he finally caved. "Okay, okay. Fine, fine, Mona it is then."

Mona nodded, lifted a hand and whacked Mickey over the head.

Raph smirked, his eyes filled with mirth. "I couldn't have done it better myself."

Mona Lisa giggled and pulled Raph down beside her, yanking the controller roughly away from Mikey and gesturing from the controller in her hands to the television. Raph smiled. "You wanna learn how to play?" He asked.

Mona yanked on his arm and eagerly nodded. Raph grinned and took a seat beside her. "Okay, so let's start with the basics…"

Mikey was a little upset that Mona and Raph had stolen control of the video games, but the longer he watched his older, sour brother trying to teach Mona how to play the giddier he became. Raph was such a big softie!

The youngest turtle shook his head and stood, sending a knowing smirk at Leo and Donnie. They smiled back. Sensei emerged from the dojo. All four members of the turtle clan grinned as they watched Raphael teaching Mona how to play video games.

Mona giggled as Raphael tried to show her how it was done. He failed miserably and died within the first few seconds.

Mikey laughed. "Hahaha! Nice job Raph!"

Raph glared at the youngest and turned back to Mona. He took his time instructing her in the function of all the buttons and the goal of the game. The hothead didn't really feel like she fully understood everything he said, but she waved him off insisting she was ready.

Raph frowned, "Cool off, hothead!" he murmured as he reached out with one hand and tussled her long, brown hair. She growled and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring hotly at him. Raphael just laughed.

Mona smirked mischievously. And just when Raph let his guard down…she pounced. She laughed, soundlessly, as she pinned him to the ground. Raph laughed as well as he wrestled with her, good-naturedly.

Though they didn't say anything, the other turtles could tell that Raphael was purposely allowing her to wrestle with him. The thick, muscular turtle was far too strong to be wrestling for any long period of time with Mona...unless of course he was pretending.

Master Splinter rolled his eyes. "Ah, kids."

Raphael's brothers just smiled.

 **So, how was it? Any Comments? Review Please!**


	4. A Late Night Chat

**This chapter turned out just the way I wanted it to. I am very pleased. Still…I would love hearing, er, reading your reviews!**

 **Ch. 4-A Late Night Chat**

When Raphael arrived at Casey's place, he peered in to find that April was there. Casey had left the window open. Raph wasn't really looking forward to explaining things. But, nevertheless he took a deep breath and went inside.

As expected, both Casey and April began bombarding him with questions. He held up his hands and they both quieted. April was the first to speak. "Casey says that you have a female mutant in the lair."

Raphael nodded. "Yeah, we rescued her from a top secret human laboratory."

Both humans staggered and stared in shock. Casey looked horrified. "D-did they…?"

The hothead didn't have to be a genius to catch the implications of that question. He nodded, solemnly.

April was shocked. "They e-experimented on her?"

Raph's face was grim, his lips pulled into a tight frown. "More like tortured her." An uncomfortable silence weighed heavily on their shoulders as Raph turned to Casey. "You can understand why she doesn't react well to humans."

Casey had a pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry man, like I said I never meant to scare her."

Raph offered his best bud a small grin and a clap on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it Casey. I'm hoping that the next time you come down I can convince Mona to at least let you shake her hand."

"Don't rush her, Raph." April murmured.

"Trust me, I won't."

"Mona?" Casey echoed, curiously.

"Mona Lisa." Raphael elaborated.

April's eyes gleamed. "That's a beautiful name."

A rare smile danced across the hotheaded turtle's lips. "Yeah. It fits her."

"Leo's idea?" April hazarded a guess.

Raph crossed his arms over his chest. "Mine, actually. She made the ultimate decision though. I wasn't about to let her get stuck with a name she didn't like."

A hand clapped the red-masked turtle's shoulder. "You seem very concerned about her." Casey Jones stated evenly.

Raphael shrugged. "I'm her guardian. I'm supposed to be." He did an about-face and headed for the window.

The two humans exchanged surprised glances. When they their gaze turned back towards him, they found merely an empty space where a turtle had once been.

* * *

When Raphael got back to the lair he found his eldest brother and Mona Lisa seated on the couch watching some kind of cartoon-action movie. As soon as Leonardo heard him enter, the leader stood and moved over towards him. Mona seemed too enthralled by the movie to notice.

Leo came over to Raphael.

Raph decided to keep the conversation at whisper so as not to disturb Mona. "What is she doing up? She should be resting! Need I remind you she's still recovering?!"

Leo frowned and whispered hotly back, "She insisted! She refused to go to bed! Despite her very childlike personality, she can be as stubborn as you when she wants to be! Something we learned while you were out! It took us practically an hour-and-a-half just to calm her down after you left! Personally, I think she wanted to wait up for you."

Raph's neon green eyes softened as he glanced over to the couch where she sat, still completely engaged by the film. His anger dispelled as he turned back to his older brother. "You kept an eye on her, then?"

"Of course."

The corner of Raph's mouth turned upwards into a tiny little smile. "You go on to bed, bro. We've got early morning training tomorrow."

Leo returned the smile. "Sure thing. You think you can handle things here?" The eldest said, gesturing to Mona Lisa.

Raphael nodded. Leo turned and began to make his way down the hall to his room, when… "And Leo."

The eldest turtle turned and glanced back at his hotheaded brother. Raph's smile slowly disappeared. Leo raised and eye-ridge.

"Thanks."

Leonardo stared wide-eyed for a few moments before his face melted into a relaxed smile. He nodded, softly, and whispered, "You're welcome." As he turned and made his way to his room, the eldest turtle's smile grew. _Maybe this new responsibility would be good for Raphael…_

Raph turned away from Leo and slowly moved over to the couch. "You know, you really should be resting."

Mona jumped slightly at the sudden sound of Raph's voice, but she immediately turned to him, with a rather bashful look on her face. The turtle sat down beside her and Mona moved closer, her hands cupping either side of his face as her eyes searched for injuries.

Raph chuckled and tipped her chin upwards so that he could look her in the eyes. "Relax, I'm fine. I was just meeting with my friends."

Mona looked him over once more before she accepted that and pulled him into a hug.

Raphael was a little bit shocked, but he did his best to reciprocate. As he pulled away the turtle looked down into her eyes, then looked away. "Mona…I hate to bring this up, and I know this will be hard for you, but we really need to know a little more about you. About where you came from, who you are…I don't suppose you'd be willing to answer a few questions."

There was a long period of silence. Mona made eye-contact with Raphael and for almost a solid minute the two of them just stared at each other. Finally, Mona Lisa reached out and grabbed Raph's hand and nodded.

Worry flashed in Raphael's eyes. "You're sure it's not too soon?"

She squeezed his hand tightly and gestured him to go ahead.

"Mona, when were you mutated?"

The lizard mutant frowned and looked down. Raphael could tell from her expression that she didn't know how to answer the question. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her bottom lip was pushed out in a brooding expression.

"Can you remember anything from before you were captured by the humans?"

Mona frowned and shook her head. She stood from the couch and began to make wild gestures.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down!" Raph insisted.

Mona Lisa did as he asked. She bent down and gestured to something about the height of her knee. Raph was confused. Mona put a hand on her head, and then moved it down to her knee.

"Smaller? When you were smaller?" Raph asked.

Mona nodded. Then she gestured to herself.

"You?"

Mona shook her head and pointed to herself once again, this time moving her tail.

Raph's eye-ridges furrowed. "You? Your mutation?" Suddenly the pieces came together. "You were mutated when you were smaller."

Mona nodded solemnly. She pointed to her head and then moved her hand away quickly. And made a 'kaput' gesture.

Raph wasn't certain, but he believed he was correct in assuming, "You don't remember."

Mona's eyes filled with tears as she nodded and leaned into him. Raphael put his arm around her and gently rubbed her shoulder. Her sobs slowed until finally she went silent.

Raphael belatedly realized that she had fallen asleep. He smiled. "I think you've had quite enough excitement for one day." The turtle nimbly removed himself from her grip and stood. Slowly, and ever-so-delicately, the hothead lifted her up into his arms and began to carry her down the hall to the spare room, which she had been occupying for the last few days.

He couldn't help but blush as Mona smiled and leaned into him.

* * *

Raphael lay on his bed, staring up at the oh-so-familiar ceiling. His mind was swirling with thoughts and feelings concerning their guest. The corner of his mouth bent into a smile as he thought about her insatiable desire to learn. She'd only been with them for a few days and she was already slowly turning into a member of the family.

Yesterday morning Raphael had caught sight of her peering into the dojo during Master Splinter's meditation, and she had proceeded to go inside, interrupt him and express her curiosity as to its purpose. Instead of reprimand, which anyone else would have received for such behavior, the old rat smiled and began to explain the nature of meditation.

She was so…different, from anyone he'd ever met before. The lizard mutant was just full of so many contradictions. On the one hand, she was stubborn and knew what she wanted, on the other…she was timid, shy, and wary. She was just so…complex. She was nothing like the other girls Raph had met. Well, technically the only girl he'd ever met was April. And Mona was waaaaaaaay cooler than April.

At least, he thought so. April hung out mostly with Don, so Raph hadn't really gotten quite as close to her as his brothers. Also Raph and April actually butted heads on more than they actually agreed upon. They were too dissimilar to really bond particularly well.

Nothing against April…she was cool and all that, but Mona was so much more…he wasn't altogether sure. Like he said, Mona was just…different. But it was a good kind of different. It was refreshing.

And Mona was so much more fun to be around.

There was something about Mona Lisa's nature that Raphael thoroughly enjoyed. It didn't matter whether she was being stubborn or sweet, she was always entertaining.

Raph couldn't help but smile as he thought about the way she'd taken to checking him for injuries. As the hotheaded and most hardheaded of his brothers, he wasn't too used to people being overly concerned about him. I mean, yes he was often injured, sometimes rather badly, but he never really broadcasted his injuries. He wasn't really one to seek concern because he wasn't a very touchy-feely kinda guy. But when Mona was concerned, it gratified him somehow. It felt good to know that she cared enough to be concerned. It was also kinda cute…in a very Mona sort of way.

Raphael fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

 **Review Please!**


	5. Stitches

**So, some really cute bonding with Raph and Mona in this chapter. I really appreciated the reviews I received for the last chapter, they were very insightful and they also helped me come up with cute little bits to add into this chapter.**

 **Slight warning for anyone squeamish when it comes to blood, there is a little bit of blood in this chapter, but don't worry, it isn't too descriptive.**

* * *

 **Ch. 5-Stitches**

The following morning Mona was awakened by a soft knocking on the door of her room. She pushed out of bed slowly, her long hair ruffled and unkempt. Slowly she tiredly stumbled over to the door and poked her head out.

Whoever was outside pushed in with little ado.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Raph said, his voice almost too bright and sunshiney for Mona's taste.

She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. She raised a tired eyebrow at him, her eyes still half-lidded, and yawned.

Raphael turned to her and chuckled. "That's quite a mop of hair you've got there."

The only reply the turtle received was a hard shove and a very hot glare. Raph hadn't been expecting the shove, and hadn't braced himself. As such, Mona was easily able to topple the turtle and Raphael landed very unceremoniously on his rear end.

Raph's bottom lip pushed out into a light pouting expression as he grumbled. "Someone's not a morning person." The hotheaded turtle pushed himself up off the floor slowly.

Mona tapped her foot impatiently and he sent her an inquisitive stare. In order to get her point across she began to try and push him out of the room. Unfortunately since he was considerably heavier than she was, it was quite near impossible.

Raphael, confused, turned to glance at her over his shoulder. "Hey, what's the big idea?"

She yawned and after a few more attempts at pushing the turtle out, Mona finally gave up. The mutant lizard didn't answer his question. At least, not directly.

Once she stopped trying to force him out the door, the turtle gave her a good once over. She really did look dead tired.

He couldn't help but smile as she yawned yet again and sent him a sleepy glare. The hothead rolled his eyes and grabbed her gently by the wrist. "Come on, sleepyhead."

Mona pulled her hand away and headed back over towards her bed.

"You can sleep if you want, but your breakfast will get cold."

Mona Lisa didn't care. She dropped back onto the bed and rolled over so that she could glare at the red-masked turtle.

Raph huffed and held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Just don't be surprised when you find yourself eating breakfast alone. I'll be in the dojo if you need anything."

Raph laughed as she turned over and snuggled into her pillow. He shook his head and turned out the light as he left, closing the door softly behind him.

* * *

About an hour later Mona emerged from her room. Muffled sounds of movement and voices came from the dojo. Her insatiable curiosity peaked, Mona pushed her hunger aside and opened the dojo doors just a crack so that she could peer inside.

She opened it even wider as she saw what was going on. The turtles appeared to be fighting each other. Her brow creased slightly with worry, but it didn't take her long to see that they weren't really trying to hurt each other.

It was a free-for-all really, a last-turtle-standing type of exercise. After a couple days break from training, for their visitor's sake more than their own, all of the turtles had been itching to get back into the zone. Leonardo and Raphael, in particularly were eager for action.

Leo snapped back into the early morning training routine with ease, and Raphael…Raph was just having an overall good day. He was a little bit disappointed that Mona hadn't wanted to get up earlier, but he couldn't blame her. And as Don was getting fond of telling them: technically Mona was still recovering, so she needed all the rest she could get.

Mona watched as Leonardo and Raphael made quick work of Michelangelo and Donatello and the two younger siblings went to sit off to the side.

Leo and Raph were really doing unusually well. Raph's focus had allowed him to bowl Mikey over without even having to use his weapons. Suddenly the hothead heard a thud and a grunt. He glanced over and realized that Leo had eliminated Donatello from the game. Emerald green lips pulled upward into the hothead's signature smirk.

Leo mirrored the expression and drew his katana with a flourish as he and Raph began to circle each other. Raphael's hands reached back to his belt and retrieved his sais. He spun them and dropped into a ready stance.

Mona's eyes widened and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. The blades in the turtles' hands flashed and she began to tremble. As the blades met with a mighty clang she shook her head frantically from side to side. Memories flashed through her head. Memories of sharp objects, bright lights, pain, voices…Mona Lisa screwed her eyes shut. Tears ran down her face. A soft snivel slipped past her lips before she silenced her sobs.

Raphael and Leonardo really went at each other. They were both in very good form, and the match was a very close one. Their weapons met repeatedly with clangs and scrapes. Raph's senses were on high alert. Leo wasn't winning this match. Not in a million years. The hothead smirked.

But the smirk was sponged right off his face as he heard something else. A quiet snivel. _Mona?_ Raphael turned towards the dojo door, distracted.

Leonardo was mid-swing, and Raphael was about to block, when suddenly the hothead got distracted and looked away. Cerulean blue eyes widened, but it was too late to stop the swing of his blades.

"AUGHHH! Shell!" Raph dropped to his knees, his right hand clutching the left side of his face, blood rapidly coating his fingers. The hothead pulled his bloody hand away, glancing from it to Leo's blood-stained katana in astonishment.

Less than a split second later his brothers, including Leonardo, rushed forward. The eldest turtle let his weapons fall to the ground with a mighty thud before he went to kneel at his immediate younger brother's side.

Mikey was the first to speak, "Raph, are you okay?!"

Raphael pushed past them.

Mona Lisa stood in the doorway, absolutely horrified. Raphael rushed over to her, his sai still clutched in his left hand. Mona recoiled violently and more tears wet her cheeks as she stared at the sharp blade in Raphael's grasp.

Raph followed Mona's gaze to the sai in his hand and he frowned, casting the weapon off to the side without a second thought. Slowly, Mona's trembling, wet eyes moved upward. When she saw the blood running down the side of his face, her eyes went wide with horror. A shaking hand reached up and touched the area around the wound. Her eyes watered as she stared down at the blood on her fingers. Mona stared up at Raphael before throwing herself into his arms.

She clung to him desperately as though she feared he would disappear.

Raph was in shock for a moment before he wrapped his left arm around her and softly rubbed circles against her back. "It's okay, Mona, it's okay. It was just a little accident, you don't have anything to worry about. I'll be fine. It's just a little scratch. I'll be just fine." Mona Lisa was still shaking violently and Raph wanted nothing more than for her to just be okay again. Something about the way she'd reacted to his sai suggested that it wasn't necessarily the injury, but rather the circumstances that had upset her. The hotheaded turtle frowned. He was worried.

Don appeared behind Mona Lisa and Raph looked up at his smart brother's grunt. "I'll get my supplies. Be right back."

Raph nodded and returned his focus to Mona. He murmured words of comfort into her ear, and she finally began to calm down.

Until Donatello returned. At first, as Donnie cleaned the wound, Mona was fine. Don frowned and let out a low hum. The cut was deep. It was going to need stitches. The brainiac put his back to them and threading the needle where the light was better. When he turned back to Raph with the needle, however, Mona Lisa went completely stiff.

The lizard mutant put herself protectively between the brainiac and the hothead. Donnie raised an eye-ridge, and then straightened in realization as everything became clear. He moved the needle towards her experimentally and she jumped back, tears springing into the corners of her eyes.

As Raph saw the way Mona pulled away, his eyes narrowed at his immediate younger brother. The muscular turtle gripped Mona's shoulders reassuringly. "What's the big idea, Don?!" He yelled, his protective instincts on high alert. Mona flinched at Raph's volume and he lowered his voice, "You scared her. What the shell was that?"

Donatello frowned. "Aichmophobia."

Raphael raised an eye-ridge. "Fear of…what?"

The purple-masked turtle's expression was grave. "Fear of sharp objects, particularly needles, probably brought about by her traumatic experience. My guess is, our sparring match triggered bad memories."

Raphael frowned and his grip on Mona's shoulder tightened protectively.

'Doctor' Donatello frowned and made direct eye contact with the green-eyed turtle. "Despite Mona's fears, Raph, you really do need a couple of stitches."

Raph nodded in understanding and tilted Mona's head up with his left hand. "Mona, I think you should go wait in the front room."

Mona's eyes widened and she stared from Raph to Don. Her wide eyes were fearful as she shook her head vehemently.

The neon green gaze softened. "Mona, please. Donnie needs to do this so that it'll heal up right. Please, go to the other room."

Once again, the lizard mutant refused.

The hothead smiled at the appearance of her stubborn streak. He stared down at her in earnest. "Mona…" His voice dropped to a whisper, "I don't want it to upset you."

Mona Lisa stared straight back into his eyes with utter determination. Raphael couldn't help but grin. She wasn't backing down from this one.

The lizard mutant took his left hand and held it tightly. Raph's grin broke out into a smile. He whispered softly, "You probably won't want to watch this next part."

Raph motioned Don to go ahead. This time when the brainiac approached with the needle Mona flinched but made no move to stop him. The lizard pressed herself against Raphael's plastron with her eyes tightly closed.

The second-eldest turtle grit his teeth as his smart brother began to stitch the cut.

"Please try and keep still." Don murmured softly.

Raph grunted in pain, but did his darnedest to keep from fidgeting. The hothead with is lip to stifle the pained sounds escaping his lips. No need to worry Mona unduly.

* * *

As soon as the red-masked turtle was all patched up, Raph set himself to washing the blood off of his and Mona's hands.

A long silence stretched between the two mutants. Mona watched the bowl of clean, clear water turn pink as Raph scrubbed the blood off of their hands.

Finally Raphael had had enough and he slowly broke the silence. "Leo and I must have really scared you." Mona Lisa refused to meet the red-masked turtle's gaze, and that worried Raphael. "I'm sorry." He murmured, hoping he would get some kind of response.

Mona's soft brown eyes flicked upward to meet his.

Raph reached out and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I hope you don't think any less of me."

The lizard mutant's eyebrows furrowed and she canted her head in confusion at the turtle's words.

The red-masked turtle tore his gaze away from hers and muttered. "The last thing I want is for you to be afraid of me."

Big, brown eyes softened as she tilted his face up with one hand so that he could see her smile. She punched him good-naturedly in the shoulder, and he laughed.

After the first couple guffaws, the turtle brought his hand up to the side of his face and murmured. "Ow. Laughing is not a good idea right now."

Mona Lisa smiled, her mouth open as she laughed silently. The lizard mutant wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a half-hug, unconsciously pulling him down towards her. Their cheeks rubbed together and Raph could feel the heat rising as his face turned pink. Neon green eyes glanced over at Mona's face and Raph smiled.

She really was unlike anyone he'd ever met before.

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it? What did you guys think?**


	6. Not the Face!

**Foreword: Answers**

 **So I got a review asking me if I knew Mona was appearing season 4, and the answer is yes. I saw the comic-con presentation. Also someone asked me what my take is on Mona's new look. To be completely and totally honest with you guys, I'm good with it. I mean, I'm just happy they put her in the series! I don't really care that they changed her origin story or whatever. (Because that's basically what all of us writing Raph/Mona fanfiction have been doing all the time).**

 **I have to admit, miss the hair, but you know, things change. It's just like going from Cowabunga to Booyakasha. Personally, I'm more interested in the substance of Mona's character. I value character much more than appearance so we'll have to wait and see. But if she scores points with Raph, I mean come on, she's gonna have to pretty freakin awesome! I'm totally stoked to see what the writers and producers of this series are about to dish out on us!**

 **There you go.**

 **I hope I have answered your questions to the fullest possible extent. And just because Mona is actually entering the series now does not mean I'm going to let that distract me from really using my imagination and giving my all to this work. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. I will respond.**

 **And don't worry, I haven' given up on my other stories, I just really want to make sure this story is well on its way before I go back to some of my other works in progress. I'm currently working really hard at multi-tasking writing the next chapter for Brother's Intuition and the last chapter of the Swap series for Brotherly Blunders. They're coming along slowly but surely, have no fear.**

 **That said, let's go on with the show. I'm sure that most of you are here to read the next chapter not read all about my life. So with no further ado…**

* * *

 **Ch. 6-The Face**

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Allow the fabulous, world-famous chef Michelangelo to present…the long-awaited Carrot Pizza!" Mikey placed it down proudly on the dish in front of their lizard mutant guest. The other turtles smiled…or, at least, most of the other turtles.

Raphael gagged. "Disgusting."

Mona rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder. Don and Mikey laughed while Leonardo just smiled.

"Hey!" The hothead protested.

The lizard mutant laughed and stuck her tongue out at him.

Raphael's eyes narrowed. But then a slow smirk crossed his face. He reached behind her and ruffled her hair with one hand. The hothead broke into a laugh at her expression.

Mona glared at him, before breaking out into a smirk of her own. She pulled a large pinch of shredded carrot off the pizza and slapped it into the hotheaded turtle's open and laughing mouth.

Raph's smile vanished quicker than sugar in water. His snout wrinkled in disgust as he spat out the offending pieces of root vegetable. "ICH! That is positively vile!"

The other turtles burst out with laughter.

"Hahahahahahahaha! Time to wake up and taste the carrots Raph!" Mikey cackled. "Nobody messes with Mona's hair, bro!"

Don snorted. "I think it's pretty obvious that Raphael doesn't carrot all for the taste."

Leo rolled his eyes at the smart-turtle's horrible pun. A bright smile graced the eldest turtle's lips. Raph had changed a lot since Mona Lisa had recovered. In the past couple of days the turtles had seen a lot more of the softer, more protective side of their often brash and hotheaded brother. Make no mistake, he was still Raphael the smirking, smack-talking, thrill seeking turtle he had always been, but Mona seemed to have brought out a little bit more of Raph's elusive, tender side. Much in the same way that Michelangelo did.

Goodness knows the youngest turtle had always been able to tap into Raphael's soft side, in fact, in many of the instances where Raph said something mean or hurtful, it was Mikey who pointed it out. Mikey was the one who constantly reminded Raph that people do have feelings, and that you can't always be brash about everything.

—But back to the topic at hand. Mona Lisa seemed to bring out that side of Raph in an altogether different way. In playful moments like this, for example. If Mikey or Leo had shoved a piece of carrot into Raph's mouth he would have beaten them to a near pulp. But Mona…with Mona the hothead just grumbled and pouted and crossed his arms over his chest glaring at her.

Leo smiled. If there was one thing he could say for Mona Lisa, it was that she definitely had guts. It took real courage to face up to Raphael, even when he was in a relatively good mood. The hotheaded turtle was renowned for being the first to throw something potentially dangerous at any one of them in a fit of rage. Not to mention the sheer intensity of that scalding glare of his.

Leo laughed as his hotheaded younger brother sat with his arms crossed over his chest, steam coming out of his ears. Raphael had been trumped.

Mona giggled at the red-masked turtle's put-out expression. She leaned her head on his shoulder, but he shrugged her off and grumbled, "I hate carrots."

She put down the pizza and her hands began to gesticulate wildly. The other turtles exchanged confused glances.

Raphael watched her movements carefully. When she finished, his eye-ridges furrowed and he scowled.

Mona smirked and turned back to her pizza, which she was thoroughly enjoying.

Mikey raised an eye-ridge, "What the shell was that all about?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "She was telling me something."

Baby-blue eyes gleamed with interest, "You can talk to her?"

"Anyone can talk to her, Mikey, she can understand every word we say." Raph stated.

Mona Lisa, a little bit offended that she was being talked about as though she wasn't there, crossed her arms over her chest, a pizza crust still clenched in her right hand.

Donatello shook his head and elaborated. "I think what surprised Mikey is the fact that you seem to understand her."

Raph shrugged. "There isn't much to understand, it's not rocket-science. It's like playing charades."

Leo raised an eye-ridge in curiosity. "So what did she say?"

"When?"

The eldest sighed, "Just now!"

"Well, I said I didn't like carrots and she basically said 'that was the point.'"

Mona Lisa smirked and the turtles just laughed. Even Raph was smiling. But Leo's smile sobered very quickly as cerulean blue eyes caught a flash of pain in the hothead's eyes as Raph reached up to the wound on his cheek. Guilt ate away at the blue masked turtle and he stood.

All eyes turned to Leo as he stood rather abruptly. The blue-masked turtle moved over to Raph's side and gently tugged on the emerald green elbow. His voice was a low whisper. "Raph…can I talk to you for a minute?"

Raph shrugged. "Talk away."

Leo glanced at the others and shifted uncomfortably. "Alone."

Raphael looked a little bit confused, but he nodded and led his older brother out of the kitchen and into the dojo. For a few moments they both just stood there in awkward silence, until finally Raph cleared his throat. "Well, you wanna talk? Talk."

"Raph, I wanted to…well the truth is…I wanted to…to apolo—"

"Don't bother." Raph cut the elder turtle off.

Leo's brow wrinkled in confusion. "But I—I didn't mean to…"

"Exactly. It was an accident, you didn't mean to. So there's nothing to apologize for."

"But I should have reacted sooner…"

Raph rolled his eyes. "C'mon Leo, we both know you couldn't have stopped yourself at that point. If it was anyone's fault then it was mine, I got distracted. You couldn't have seen that coming."

"But I should have been—"

"Can it, Leo! I'm not gonna listen to any more of this crap!" The hothead yelled aggressively.

Leo pulled a couple steps back at the sudden show of temper.

The hothead took deep, heavy breath. "I wasn't angry…"

"Of course not." Leo replied almost immediately. Of course, Leonardo was well aware that Raphael was angry, the hothead just didn't mean to be angry.

"I really need to get out of here and bash some heads. I'm going stir-crazy in here." Raph muttered.

Leo frowned. He was sure that he was going to regret suggesting this, but Raph really needed to release his pent-up frustration before it involuntarily hurt someone. "Why don't you call Casey? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to bust some heads with you."

Raph sighed. "Yeah…I just don't want to scare Mona again."

Leo's face was solemn. "I can understand that, but if she's never exposed to the humans she'll never learn. The only way she'll accept that Casey, and April for that matter, can be trusted is if she sees it for herself. I suggest you invite him down here to hang out."

"Yes, but she gets so scared…" Raph began, but Leonardo cut him off.

"Raph, she ought to know by now that she's safe here. We'll protect her. It wouldn't hurt to ask. If she doesn't feel comfortable having Casey in the lair, then the two of you can go out and bust some heads. But we really need to push her out of her comfort zone just a little if we ever want her to get used to our human friends."

Raph let out a long low hum. "I hate to admit it, but you're probably right. I'll go ask her."

Leo nodded solemnly and watched his younger brother go. He shook his head and sighed. _Honestly, if Raphael keeps babying Mona he's gonna be surprised when one day he gets a smack in the face. Despite the way he treats her, she's hardly a child. And if the way she looks at him is any indication, I'd say she sees him as slightly more than just a friend._

* * *

Raph waited until after lunch had been eaten before confronting Mona Lisa. "Mona, I…"

Big, chocolaty brown eyes turned up to the hothead and the words died in his mouth. The soft, gentle, upward sweep of her lips in that tiny beatific smile made Raph's heart grind to a complete stop. He could feel his cheeks growing as red as his mask and he struggled to shake it off.

"Mona, I've asked Casey to come hang out for a little while."

The smile vanished and Mona's muscles tensed.

"I promise he won't hurt you. He won't even come near you if you don't want him to. I just want to prove to you that not all humans are bad. Please say you're with me on this."

Mona backed away a little, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.

Raph deflated a little and murmured. "I'm not going to force you into anything. If you don't feel comfortable just shake your head and that'll be the end of it."

Mona Lisa bit her tongue as she thought it over. It wasn't that she didn't trust Raphael and his brothers, but a human? She wasn't sure that she was entirely ready. After a careful moment of thought she was about to shake her head, but then she caught Raphael's eyes.

The female lizard mutant had only been with the turtles a short number of days, but she had already learned a lot about their individual quirks and features. One of the things she found most interesting about them was that each turtle had very distinctive facial features. Michelangelo's face had the roundness of youth, with big cheeks, dimples, freckles, and bright baby-blue eyes, obviously the youngest of the four. Donatello features were also rounded, but his cheeks were a little more sunken in. The smart-turtle's gap toothed smile and dark, maroon-brown eyes set him apart from the rest of his brothers. Now Leonardo differed quite a bit from the others. His features were a well-defined and the big, dark, blue eyes behind his bright blue mask were incredibly attractive and very understanding.

But that didn't change the fact that Mona liked Raph's face the best. The deep, red, tattered mask framed his neon green eyes beautifully. Raph's facial features were by far the sharpest and most sculpted of his brothers and those eyes…they were a shade Mona had never seen before and probably would never see their equal. So full of emotion, so compassionate, so kind, so…beautiful.

Mona couldn't bring herself to say no. Not when Raphael was looking at her like that.

* * *

Later that evening, Casey Jones arrived. But instead of his usual, boisterous manner, the teenager exhibited a quieter, more considerate side. Raph walked right up to his friend and clapped a hand on Casey's shoulder. "Hey Case! What's up, man?" The emerald green turtle raised an eye-ridge as he realized that the human teenager had a bag in his hands. "What's that?"

"April said its some stuff for Mona. Shampoo, hair ties, headbands…I gave April a general description of her and April picked out some things she thought Mona might need."

Raph nodded. Indeed, those were things that Raph hadn't thought of. He grinned. "I'm sure Mona will be happy to get them. Isn't that right, Mona?"

Mona Lisa peered out from where she was currently hiding behind Leonardo. The lizard mutant approached slowly. When she reached Raphael, Mona clung to the back of his carapace looking at Casey from around the hothead's shoulder.

"Hi." Casey said, waving.

Mona shrunk back behind Raph's shoulder. The hothead glanced at her with concern, but made no move to comfort her.

In view of the fact that Mona would need a long time to even come to terms with being in the same room with a human, the turtles decided a distraction was in order.

Mikey went into the kitchen and made some popcorn while the other three turtles, their lizard guest, and Casey Jones spread out on the sofa. During the movie Raph Mona and Donnie sat on one couch, while Leo, Mikey and Casey sat on the other. That way Mona could keep an eye on him.

Casey Jones could feel the lizard mutant's eyes on him every once in a while, but every time he tried to make eye contact she looked away.

During the action parts of the movie the two hotheads occasionally threw in comments. It was during one such moment that both exclaimed simultaneously, "Aw, seriously, that was so cheesy!"

Mona glanced from Raphael to Casey with interest. The two hotheads smirked at each other and said at the same time, "Jinx."

It was then that Mona noticed the similarities between their behaviors and even their smirks. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity before her attention was once again commandeered by the events of the film.

 _The End,_ the film concluded.

As the credits rolled along the screen, an awkward silence spread between the four turtles and Casey until finally, the human broke it. "So…what now?"

Raph glanced at his brothers. He hadn't really made any other plans. He shrugged. Then he smirked. "I'll challenge you to a round of video games."

Jones's lips curved upward into smirk. "Oh, you're on!" He yelled excitedly.

Raph and Casey rushed over, slid onto the floor and grabbed the controllers. Mona jumped behind Leonardo as Raph moved away, but after a few moments she took a few steps out from her hiding spot. Big, brown eyes watched curiously as Casey played with Raph. The two of them occasionally nudged each other, pushing and shoving as they each tried to attain the victory.

"Oh no you don't!" Raph exclaimed as Casey's character took the lead.

"Hahaha! Taste the defeat, Raph!" Casey exclaimed as he won, standing and doing a victory dance. Mona took several tentative steps in their direction.

Casey was so busy rubbing his victory in Raph's face that he failed to notice the lizard's approach. Instead he pulled Raph into a headlock and rubbed the bald emerald green head.

Raph growled and pulled away. "Try that again, hotshot, and I'll beat you with your own hockey stick."

Mona had been with the turtles long enough to tell Raph's playful threats from his serious ones, and this one was indeed on the playful side. She grinned.

Casey flicked the side of Raph's head. The hotheaded turtle growled and lunged. For a few moments the two of them wrestled light-heartedly, laughing and growling as they tumbled about on the floor.

Leonardo watched Mona Lisa out of the corner of his eye and he couldn't help but grin at what he saw. She still appeared apprehensive, but at least she wasn't hiding anymore. Not only that, but there was a small smile gracing her lips. She looked as though she were trying to keep herself from giggling at Raphael's current behavior.

 _Yes,_ Leo thought to himself, _I think she's warming up to Casey._

Finally, after a long bout of laughter and a lot of rolling about on the floor, the two hotheads stood. The human pushed himself to feet and stopped dead in his tracks as he found a trembling, light-green hand held out a mere foot away from him.

The entire room froze. The turtles held their breath in uncertainty.

Casey failed to respond and Mona's eyes flicked to Raphael, uncertainly. Raph nodded his approval and motioned her to go ahead. "She wants to compare features with you, Case."

Casey shifted uncomfortably. "Okay. So what do I do?"

"Nothing. Don't make any sudden moves, either. She still doesn't feel entirely comfortable around humans." Raph stated evenly.

The human teenager looked back over his shoulder at the red-masked turtle, "How can you tell?"

Raph just was pleased that Mona finally seemed to have wracked up the courage to approach Casey. Pleased and…impressed. It wasn't easy to face your fears. Something like that takes a lot of courage. Raph admired her courage almost as much as he did her stubbornness. _Wait…What?_ Raph thought with wide eyes. He shook his head and pushed those thoughts aside for later.

Mona seemed fascinated as she examined Casey's hand. Raphael couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, Casey's a human. He's got five fingers."

Mona jumped a little at the sudden sound of Raph's laughter as it broke the silence. The room brightened a bit and the other turtles relaxed. Mona resumed her examination of Casey Jones, turning her attention to his long, black hair. She lifted his bangs curiously and raised an eyebrow.

Casey slowly reached out and stilled her hand. "Yeah, I have hair too. Just like you."

Mona yanked her hand back and began to stroke her own hair self-consciously.

Casey smiled. "Don't worry, your hair looks fine."

Mona's cheeks reddened a little and she took a step closer to the human so that she could look more directly into his eyes.

Raph didn't know why, but Mona's reaction to Casey's compliment followed by her decision to move closer perturbed him. To be quite honest he was annoyed.

Leo flashed Raphael a rather concerned look as hothead growled under his breath. Luckily for them, Mona didn't hear Raph's growl and continued.

Once Mona had satisfied her curiosity regarding the human, she took a few steps backward. Unfortunately for her, Michelangelo had left some of his marbles lying around on the floor. Mona's stepped back on them and she suddenly found herself toppling backwards. Completely on reflex, Casey's arms reached out and caught her, pulling her back onto her feet in one swift movement. He was holding her really close as he looked down into her eyes. "Whoa there, you okay?"

Mona nodded shakily then put her hand on his and stared deep into his eyes as she nodded.

Raphael had rushed forward to catch the falling lizard mutant, but the human had beaten him to it. And now Casey was holding her even closer than before! Urgh!

Casey Jones looked confused by Mona's gesture, but it was one that Raph was very familiar with. As he pushed between them, he grumbled, "That's her way of saying 'thank you'."

"Oh." Casey's cheeks flushed. "You're welcome."

Mona smiled and turned to Raph, whom she immediately began gesturing wildly at.

Raph chuckled at her excitement but his hands reached out and stilled hers. "Mona, Mona! Whoa! Hey, I'm glad you're excited, but if you want me to understand you need to go slower."

Mona calmed down a little and nodded. It was obvious that she was struggling to express whatever she was trying to say in a calm and concise manner. First she pointed to herself then she smiled, then she pointed at Raph, then she moved her hands around so quickly that the others exchanged confused glances. Then she brought her hands together with a clap.

Raph smiled. He turned to the others. "She says that she's happy I arranged this get-together."

Casey Jones smiled and put a gentle hand on Mona's shoulder. She flinched. A sad frown spread over Casey's features. "I know it's gonna take you a long time to get used to humans, but I hope I've managed to prove that not all humans are bad."

Mona looked up at him with uncertainty before nodding and giving him a thumbs-up, a gesture she had learned courtesy of Mikey.

Casey smiled. Then he saw the clock. "Look guys, it's been fun and all, but it's getting late."

Raph smiled. "Yeah, sure Casey. See ya round, dude."

"Same to you, buddy." The human turned and smiled at Mona Lisa, "Same to you, dudette." He winked at her and she blushed.

Raph's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. He wasn't angry…he was just…aw, screw it! Yes, he was angry! He was annoyed that his best friend had the ability to make Mona blush.

Raph shook it off. _Not a good time!_ He thought to himself.

The other turtles smiled and waved goodbye to Casey Jones. Leo stretched and yawned. "Okay, I'm going to bed."

Mikey nodded his agreement. "Me too bros. See ya in the morning."

Don glanced at them, "I'll be in the lab."

* * *

After the other three turtles had all gone their separate ways, Raph turned back to Mona Lisa.

"C'mon Mona, let's get to bed." Raph stated as he turned to head out of the room. Suddenly he felt thin hands wrap around his arm and start to pull backwards. The hothead turned to face her slowly.

Mona shook her head emphatically from side to side.

Raphael sighed. "Mona, it's late, you're still healing…" His voice faded away as he saw her face. Mona's bottom lip was pushed out and her eyes were wide, as she stared up at him. Neon green eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Alright, when the shell did Mikey teach you the puppy-dog face?!" Raph did his best to fight it, he really did. He pushed her aside lightly, "Nope, that face doesn't work on me!"

Mona somehow maneuvered her way in front of him, all the while maintaining the face. Raph's shoulders drooped. He sighed.

"Fine, you win."

Mona jumped up in victory and began pulling Raphael back over to the sofa.

He looked down at her inquisitively, "So what do you want to do?"

Mona pointed to the couch and then to the TV.

Raphael rolled his eyes. "Alright, but just an hour, and then we're going to bed."

The lizard grinned ear to ear and nodded. They sat side by side on the couch. Mona pulled her legs up beside her and lay her head against Raph's plastron.

It didn't take long before both of them began to drop off. However, just as her eyelids were about to close, the remote, which Raph had clutched in his hand fell to the floor as the hotheaded turtle's grip went lax. It startled the lizard mutant, who straightened in wakefulness. The remote landed on the floor with a soft thud, changing the channel.

Mona Lisa was about to turn it off, but instead she found herself watching with intrigue as the two humans on the screen seemed to be separately preparing for something. What, she wasn't entirely sure, but…in the next scene the two humans met on a rooftop looking out into the night, sitting side by side.

Suddenly the male's hand moved closer and closer until it was on top of the female's. She blushed and leaned against him. The male smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. Then they both turned slightly and pressed their lips together.

Mona Lisa canted her head in confusion.

"Our first kiss." One of the characters said with a sigh.

A kiss? Is that what it was called?

She was about to wake Raphael and ask him, when suddenly she began to wonder…What would it be like to…kiss…someone? Mona shook her head and turned the television off. Then she shook Raphael violently.

"Wh-Wha…? Hey!" He exclaimed, his cheeks turning red.

Mona smiled and pointed at the clock.

"Oh." Raph said as he realized why he'd been so rudely woken. "You know, if you ever do that again, I'll ruffle your hair."

Mona crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. Her glare said everything: You wouldn't dare.

Raph smirked and let her pass, but on their way down the hall he reached out and rubbed her head hard, completely disheveling her long, brown locks. Mona whirled around and gave the red-masked turtle a hot, hard, backhand slap.

"Ouch!" Raph yelled, his hand rubbing his offended cheek. _At least it isn't the left one…_ His brain pointed out. Yeah, getting slapped where he'd already been injured, that would have been bad. Mona probably did his right cheek on purpose.

Mona Lisa rolled her eyes. She pointed at Raphael and then swung her arms as though she were cradling a baby.

Ralph's cheeks reddened and his neon green eyes narrowed. "I am not a baby!"

She stuck out her tongue at him before turning to leave.

Raphael just rolled his eyes and waved her off.

As Mona proceeded to her room a thought crossed her mind… _What would it be like to kiss someone?_ Mona turned and watched as Raphael disappeared into his room and closed the door behind him. _What would it be like to kiss Raphael?_ Mona could feel her cheeks growing warmer at the thought. Then she thought about the way Raph's cheeks turned red every time she held his hand. _Kissing Raphael might prove to be most interesting indeed._ Mona smirked as she entered her room, closing the door tightly behind her.

The only problem was she knew absolutely nothing of how to go about it.

* * *

 **So how did you like it? Did it live up to expectations? Review please and let me know!**

 **P.S. Like I said before, feel free to ask all the questions you like. I love answering them!** **J**


	7. Confidence and Confidants

**Ch. 7-Confidence and Confidants**

The next day Mona Lisa woke up early and found Mikey in the kitchen cooking breakfast. As the orange masked turtle saw her he broke out into a smile. "Hey Mona! You're up early this morning."

Mona shrugged and smiled. Her soft brown eyes glanced at the stove behind Mikey, where some eggs were sizzling away in the pan. Michelangelo followed her gaze, looked down at the omelet-to-be, and exclaimed: "Oh no my baby's burning!"

He threw a slew of pepperoni and breadcrumbs into the pan before taking a spatula and folding the omelet in half.

The lizard mutant watched with fascination as Mikey lifted the omelet out of the pan and lay it delicately on a plate.

Mikey whooped, threw his fist in the air and squealed, "Yeah, victory!"

Mona Lisa giggled and rolled her eyes.

"You wanna try it?" Mikey asked.

She deflated a little. Her hands moved slowly as she gestured to him.

Mikey quickly figured out what she was trying to say. He'd always been good at charades.

"Aw, come on girl, just because you've never done it before doesn't mean you can't do it. Come on, I'll teach ya." Mikey pulled her over to the stove and put an arm around her shoulders. The youngest turtle poured some of his egg mixture into the pan from a medium-sized green mixing bowl. Mikey wrapped his arms around her from behind so that he could guide her hands.

With the youngest turtle's guidance the two of them made a rather haphazard omelet. Mona gave Mikey a crestfallen glance. The orange masked turtle patted her shoulder. "It's not your fault Mona. Making perfect omelets takes a lot of practice."

Mona Lisa flashed a small, grateful smile in Mikey's direction and he chuckled.

"Anytime dudette."

The lizard mutant pointed emphatically back at the pan and Michelangelo smiled. "Why don't you try it this time? I'm gonna cut up some carrots."

Dark brown eyes lit up at the mention of carrots, but she quickly turned her attention back to the task that had been given to her. She poured some mixture into the pan and did just as Mikey had showed her. However, as she tried to fold it over it started to fall apart. She reached out to try and fix it, but her hand touched the pan. Mona yanked her hand away rapidly. Tears surfaced in her eyes and her bottom lip pushed out.

Michelangelo shot forward and hugged her gently. "Oh my goodness, are you okay?" The youngest reached out for her hand but Mona pulled it away. "C'mon, let me see. I know it hurts, but I'm trying to help ya girl."

Mona Lisa sniffed the tears away and held out her hand to the orange masked turtle.

Michelangelo gripped her long, thin fingers softly as he examined the burn. "Ouch. That's a pretty bad burn. Does it hurt?" Tears welled up in Mona's eyes as she nodded. Mikey frowned. "Okay, I know what to do. Hang on," Mikey set her hand down gently, focusing on the issue at hand. _Hahaha, at_ _ **hand**_ _. Get it?_ Mikey shook those thoughts away. _No, no Mikey this is no time for bad jokes._ He told himself as he rummaged through the cupboards searching for a short, brightly-colored spray bottle. They youngest let out a strange cross between a crow and a cackle as his fingers fell upon the object in question.

But as soon as Michelangelo brought it up to Mona Lisa's hand, she yanked it away fearfully. Mikey frowned sternly and grabbed her hand, forcing her to hold still. "Mona! Mona, girl, calm down! It's just burn spray! It'll make it feel better, I promise!"

Mona started shaking and she struggled, trying to pull away. Mikey worked fast and sprayed the burn before letting go of her hand. The lizard mutant stumbled backwards as all resistance suddenly disappeared. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable impact…that never came. Strong emerald green arms caught her and swept her back up onto her feet.

A deep, foreboding growl echoed through the kitchen. "What the _shell_ is going on?" Neon green eyes were on fire as Raphael frantically examined Mona's burn and checked for other injuries.

Mikey shuddered as a livid Raphael finally turned to him. He held up his hands. "Raph it isn't what it looks like! She burned her hand and I was just trying to help!"

The hotheaded turtle stalked forward and lifted the orange masked turtle clear off the ground with one hand. "Really? It looked to me like you threw her backwards."

"No! No, I was just letting go of her hand, I didn't know that it would make her fall backwards! I didn't do it on purpose! Seriously Raph, chill out dude!"

A soft hand on Raphael's shoulder made him look over at Mona Lisa. "Is that true?"

Mona nodded vigorously and wrapped Raph in a tight hug.

The hotheaded turtle was so shocked by her action that he dropped Michelangelo and blushed. Mona Lisa pulled rapidly away and Raphael belatedly realized that her goal had been to see that he released Mikey. He sputtered. "Wh-Hey!" He growled and glared at her. "That was an underhanded trick."

Mona smirked and turned back to Mikey.

Mikey smiled. "You still wanna help?"

The lizard mutant nodded emphatically.

Raph let out a loud huff and sat at the kitchen counter where he wouldn't be in their way. But that didn't mean he wouldn't be keeping an eye on things. He watched for a few minutes as Michelangelo showed Mona how to make the perfect omelet.

The youngest turtle stepped back and asked. "So, you wanna try it?"

Mona looked a little bit less than enthused.

Mikey smiled. "I could help you if you want, like before."

The lizard mutant nodded happily and Mikey moved to stand directly behind her as he guided her hands.

Raphael fought the urge to growl. An uneasy feeling entered his chest as he realized just how closely they were pressed together. Mikey guided her hands fluidly through the motions. The hothead couldn't ignore how close they were to each other. How close their lips were. All it would take was a turn of Mona's head and…

Raph shook it off. Anger welled up inside of him. He couldn't watch. He couldn't be in here any more. A loud screech of a stool being dragged across the concrete made Mona Lisa jump and Michelangelo turn around just in time to see Raphael storming out of the kitchen.

The lizard mutant gave the orange-masked turtle a questioning glance, but Mikey just smiled knowingly. "I'd say that Raph just got a little steamed that's all."

Mona canted her head, curiously. Mikey's smile grew even wider.

"I don't think he likes it when other people stand that close to you."

'Why not?' Mona gestured.

Michelangelo smirked. "You'll have to find that out on your own." She gave him a pouting expression, but Mikey shook his head. "Nope. Like I said, you need to find out on your own."

Her frown made Mikey chuckle. A long silence spread between them until finally Mona gestured as best she could, 'What is a kiss?'

It took Mikey almost a minute before he understood what she was asking, but when he did his eyes widened. "A kiss?"

Mona nodded confirmation.

Mikey rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, a kiss is something that you do when you really like someone. Like when you're attracted to them."

Mona Lisa looked confused.

The youngest turtle sibling sighed and tried to think of a way to explain attraction. "Um, it's like when you see somebody, and just looking at that person makes your heart feel all warm and fuzzy. Or you blush when you hear their name, or when you can't stop thinking about a person. When you want to spend a lot more time with that person because you find yourself wanting to be with them. Have you ever…felt that way about…someone?"

A blush tinged Mona's cheeks as she looked away. After a long moment of inaction, she nodded.

Mikey's eyes practically bugged out of his head. "Seriously?! You like somebody?! Who?"

Mona's cheeks were a bright crimson as she shyly refused to meet Mikey's gaze.

The youngest laughed jovially, "No, don't tell me! It's Raph, isn't it?"

The lizard mutant stared at the orange masked turtle in shock.

He smirked. "Ha! I knew it! Man, this is gonna be so perfect! I can't wait to set up your first date!"

Mona was confused and she tapped Mikey on the shoulder with an inquisitive expression.

Mikey realized that he was going way too fast for her. "Oh, a date? It's a thing where two people who are attracted to each other go out and do something fun or romantic."

Mona shook her head from side to side.

Mikey put a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, so maybe you're not ready for a date yet. Well, how do you want to go about it?"

Mona pointed to herself. 'I want to get-' she brought her hands closer together.

The orange masked turtle smiled. "You want to get closer to him first?"

The lizard nodded.

The youngest turtle wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ear. "Okay, you wanna get Raph's attention? Here's what you need to do…"

* * *

As the Turtle Clan began to gather for breakfast in the front room Mona Lisa and Michelangelo dished out the pizza omelets. But there was just one little problem. Raph wasn't there. Mona frowned at the hotheaded turtle's empty seat. She walked carefully to Master Splinter's side and gave him a questioning stare.

The old rat smiled. "Raphael is in the dojo, Mona Lisa. He said that he wanted to get an early start this morning."

Mona frowned and put her hands on her hips. With a dramatic sigh she straightened and exited the kitchen, making her way to the dojo. She could hear someone moving inside and she opened the door slowly.

Raphael was in the middle of a kata. A kata he was currently struggling with due to lack of focus. Truth be told, even though his body was practicing, the hothead's mind was still swirling around Mikey and Mona's behavior in the kitchen this morning. He had rather…mixed feelings regarding the way those two had been acting. On the one hand he was her guardian and he had to be concerned for her wellbeing at all times. And on the other…his duties as a guardian weren't the only feelings he had towards her. For instance, Raph definitely didn't like the way Mikey was kissing up to her. He didn't like how close they'd been standing while Mikey taught her how to make omelets. He didn't like how Mikey could always make her laugh or smile.

But…he liked the way her face lit up when she laughed. He even liked the way she stuck her tongue out at him. It was cute, in a naively attractive sort of way.

Raph shook his head. _No! What the shell am I thinking?! She's just another girl, fer cryin' out loud!_

But she isn't…she's…

"Mona!" Raph's thoughts were cut short as he saw Mona standing in the doorway. That distraction seemed to be all it took. His foot slipped and the next thing he knew he was sprawled out on his carapace with his sais embedded in the dojo floor.

Mona Lisa's eyes widened as she watched the turtle hit the ground with a loud thud. She rushed over to him and offered her hand to help him up.

Raph pushed her hand away and stood on his own. "Sorry about that. Guess I was a little distracted."

Mona smirked and put her hands on her hips. She raised an eye-ridge and gestured mockingly: 'a little?'

Raphael rolled his eyes and turned to yank his sais out of the floor. The lizard mutant jumped back a couple of feet to give him a wide berth. She had managed to make her come to terms with the fact that the turtles carried weapons, but as soon as any of them removed their weapons from their belts Mona always allowed herself plenty of space.

Despite all of their progress, they still hadn't managed to get her into the lab for a full examination. Raph suspected that the lab brought back too many painful memories and it was hard for her to face that type of environment. Still, she'd learned a lot since she got here. Donatello decided to give her daily lessons in sign language, which they were going to start today. And she still liked watching Space Heroes with Leonardo. And Mikey…Mona had been spending a lot of time with Mikey lately. A lot of time.

Raphael sighed. "What do ya want?" He tried to keep the hard edge out of his voice, he really did, but the hotheaded turtle was annoyed.

Mona made an eating gesture and pointed in the direction of the kitchen.

Again the hothead sighed. His neon green gaze fell to the dojo floor. "I'm not hungry."

The lizard mutant's bottom lip pushed outward into a frown and she looked shocked. She stepped closer, placed a hand in the center of his chest, and stared deep into his eyes.

Raph's smile was less than convincing. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Mona pouted. She knew Raphael wasn't telling the truth. She grew annoyed and so she whacked his plastron.

Raphael was very surprised. He looked down into those determined brown eyes of hers and he softened a little. But just a little. "I really am fine, Mona. I just got a lot on my mind."

Mona made a gesture that looked like she was pretending to be a cow and then she brought her hand to her nose in a disgusted expression. When she was finished she crossed her arms over her chest to get her point across to Raphael.

Neon green eyes widened in shock, then quickly narrowed. "Who taught you that word?! That's bad language!"

Her eyes narrowed. She gestured to Raphael and moved her mouth like she was talking, her hand gesticulating the words coming out.

Raph put his hands on his hips. "I know I talk like that a lot! That doesn't mean you should!" He retorted angrily.

'Why not?' Mona gestured.

Raphael rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of frustration. "Well because—because…"

Mona crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. She pointed to herself and then pretended she had a crown on her head.

The red masked turtle was not pleased. "Oh you haven't won, sweetheart, this is only the beginning." He ground out. Raph didn't exactly know why, but he was feeling a little better and a little more clear-headed. Also a little more hungry. Slowly, his signature smirk began spread across his face. "I'll beat you to the breakfast table!" The hothead challenged as he raced by her on his way out the door.

The lizard mutant remained standing there just a few moments longer, her cheeks growing redder by the second. _Sweetheart? That was a good thing, wasn't it?_

And then, never one to refute a challenge, raced after the hotheaded turtle.

To her astonishment, Raphael had waited for her right outside the dojo.

What about what Mikey was talking about earlier? Should she do it now? Michelangelo had told her to try… and she wasn't sure it was right moment, but…

Mona Lisa grabbed Raph's arm and held him back before he could run off. The turtle's face reddened further with every step she took towards him. Until finally, Mona wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his cheek.

Every muscle in Raph's body went stock-still. _Did she just…?_

Raphael stood there, paralyzed, as he watched her run off into the kitchen, the afore mentioned challenge completely forgotten. His fingers ran softly over his cheek where she'd kissed him as he stared wistfully and blankly in the direction she'd gone. That is…until he snapped out of it.

 _What the Shell was that?!_

 **So how was it? What was your favorite part? Love the Feedback I've been getting! Thanks so much everyone!**


	8. Interesting Developments

**Ch.8-Interesting Developments**

A rather uneventful week passed. Donatello decided it was about time to perform a full medical examination on Mona Lisa. Of course, it didn't take the brainiac very long to discover that that was easier said than done.

Mona Lisa hadn't entered the lab since the day she left it, and she seemed determined to keep it that way. All things considered, Donatello couldn't blame her. After all, from what they could tell she'd been locked up in her lab for most of her life.

But, unfortunately for Donnie, getting Mona Lisa was the least of his worries. In fact, the brainiac was considering giving up right on the spot because he had two hundred pounds of pure muscle glaring him angrily in the face.

For most of the turtles the majority of their weight were actually their very heavy shells. In Raphael's case however, there was far more muscle mass than shell, which of course made him the heaviest of the turtle brothers, and consequently the hardest to transport when injured. But that's beside the point, back to the situation at hand.

To top things off, Don's rather tactless attempts to drag Mona Lisa to the lab had scared her and she had begun to cry. And now Raphael was officially considering pounding his so-called 'smart' brother to pulp. Mona rushed over to her red-masked guardian and hid behind him, her body trembling with fear.

Don felt guilty for scaring her, but for her own sake he needed to do this. The genius just hoped that could save him from Raphael's wrath. "Raph, Raph! Don't do anything hasty! Hear me out first. She needs a complete medical examination! Not only to see how she's healing, but also to learn more about her background!"

Raph's fist stilled halfway to Donnie's face. Neon green eyes narrowed. "That's no excuse for scaring her, Don. You should have been more careful. You know that she doesn't like the lab!"

Don bristled. "Well, I can't examine her in here! I need my equipment in the lab!"

A deep growl worked its way out of Raph's throat and Donnie knew that he had just made the mistake of yelling at his hotheaded brother while said turtle was angry.

Raph was about ready to rip Donnie a new one when a soft hand on his shoulder held him back. Slowly he turned to look at Mona Lisa curiously. She pulled his hands down and placed herself between him and Donatello. Finally she slowly looked at Raph, then at Donnie, and nodded.

Raphael's eyes narrowed as he frowned deeply. "Are you sure about this?"

Mona smiled and nodded, squeezing his hand. Unfortunately Raphael couldn't tell whether the action was out of fear or need for reassurance. When Mona Lisa began to tremble, Raph came to the assumption that it was probably the latter.

Neon green eyes intensified to an almost laser green shade as he spoke lowly to Donatello. "You better not hurt her, Don."

The brainiac straightened a little. In a way he was glad that Mona trusted him in a situation like this, but on the other hand he wasn't so sure he'd be able to calm the flames of Raphael's anger if she displayed any sign of being uncomfortable or in pain. His voice was shaky ad he whispered back, "Don't worry. I'm just going to do some basic scans."

The other members of the turtle family exchanged glances and slowly followed after Raph, Donnie, and Mona.

* * *

As they made their way through the lab doors, Mona Lisa sidled closer to Raph. Leonardo smiled. The way she clung to Raph's arm reminded him of the way human kids cling to their parents as they entered the doctor's office for an appointment. The eldest turtle wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that Mona fancied Raph as something more than just a guardian. Whether Raph returned those feelings or not was difficult to tell because he seemed oblivious as a rock. But perhaps…in time…

Leo was snapped out of this thoughts as Don muttered, "Lay down on the table please, Mona."

Brown eyes widened and her entire body began to shake. She sent Raph a worried look and pulled herself even closer to him.

Raph frowned and his temper flared as he turned to our smart brother. "She's not comfortable with this, Don. You're scaring her."

Donatello sighed and he approached Mona. The purple masked turtle smiled sweetly and took Mona's hands in his as he looked deep into her eyes. "Mona Lisa, I know this hard, I know it's really difficult, especially after what you've been through…but it's for your own benefit. I swear to you on my honor as a scientist that I will not hurt you. But I need you to trust me. Can you do that for me? Please?" Don's voice was smooth as silk and his eyes were earnest.

The smart turtle of course had failed to notice his immediate older brother's growl as he grabbed Mona's hands. Don had also failed to note the way that Raphael had bristled as the lizard mutant blushed.

When Mona Lisa nodded timidly in answer to Donnie's question, Raph put an inhibiting hand on her shoulder to hold her back. She turned to him with gentle eyes and pressed one of her hands softly over his. After a long, tense bout of eye contact Raph seceded and took a step back while the lizard mutant slowly lay down on the lab table.

She shivered as her back made contact with the cold metal table and shifted a little at the hardness. When she held a light green hand out to Raphael the hothead wasted no time in softly taking it in one of his own.

That only made Leo smile more. Yep. Raph may not realize it yet, but she's got him wrapped around her little finger. _In fact, I don't think Mona Lisa realizes that she could get Raph to do practically anything for her on a whim._

But of course, Leonardo knew nothing as to what had occurred before breakfast a week prior. Therefore he also didn't know that both Raphael and Mona Lisa were, at this point, in a state of total denial.

On the one hand Raph, stunned and utterly perplexed as to the meaning behind the kiss on the cheek, had written it off as a mere childish display of affection. As Leonardo had pointed out in the past, Raphael viewed Mona Lisa as a young girl when she was, in fact, a woman. And as such, the hotheaded turtle had gravely underestimated her.

On the other hand, Mona Lisa had assumed that the inaction on Raphael's part suggested disinterest. When she'd finally confided in Michelangelo what had occurred he had laughed and told her that Raph was renowned by his brothers for being very thickheaded when it came to the emotions of others. The lizard mutant hadn't really understood the meaning of that, but she understood enough to know that Mikey didn't think she should give up. Still…it would be a while before she'd be able to gather the courage to try again.

Mona's brown eyes flickered softly over to Raphael as he stood by her side. Her grip on his hand tightened and her bottom lip quivered as she was assaulted by horrible memories. To her very great surprise, Raph reached over with his other hand and traced his fingers softly over her cheekbone as he offered her a soothingly handsome smile.

Donatello wasn't particularly surprised by the fact that Raphael was trying to keep Mona Lisa calm. In fact, the brainiac was quite thankful that the hothead was even able to do so. But what surprised Donnie was the sheer gentleness in Raph's manner. Of course, they all knew that Raph was very soft-hearted, but this was taking it to a whole new level. Here Donatello actually got to see Raph with all his walls down. Moments like this were rare.

Or at least they had been, before…Don belatedly realized that ever since Mona Lisa's arrival Raphael had been acting this way increasingly often. _Could it be more than just a passing interest? Hm. They showed all the signs. But seriously…Raph?_

Before he could deliberate any further on the subject, Donatello was rudely yanked from his thoughts as the scanner beeped its completion. He looked down at the read out. Naturally, Mona's healing injuries had showed up. But…

"Huh. Interesting." Donatello murmured as he studied the readings in greater detail. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized one aspect of the reading he found particularly surprising. He went over to one of the drawers and removed a tongue depressant sealed in plastic. He removed the plastic and approached the table. "Sit up." He commanded.

Mona did as Donnie asked but she tensed and sent her red-masked guardian a frightened glance.

Raph's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do ya need her to do that for?"

"I want to look inside her mouth." Don answered plainly.

Raphael stiffened a little at the brainiac's reply but he took a step back to allow Donnie plenty of room.

The purple masked turtle smiled reassuringly at Mona Lisa. "This won't hurt, I promise. I'm just going to use this," he held out the tongue depressant, "so that I can see the back of your throat better."

Slowly, Mona Lisa nodded her consent and opened her mouth. Don used the tongue depressant just as he said he would, took a look inside her mouth and then pulled away with a deep rumbling hum of confusion.

Raph's hands balled into fists. "What's wrong with her?"

Don sighed. "Nothing." He turned back to Mona Lisa, who was still sitting upright on the edge of the lab table. "Your injuries seem to be healing fast Mona. Also with the proper nutrition we should have you in perfect health in a matter of two months."

Mona smiled and let out a relieved puff of air.

But Raphael was still frowning. "What do you mean 'nothing'? Something was obviously botherin' ya."

The brainiac shifted a little. "I wouldn't say it was bothering me, more like I found it curious."

Raph's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Found what curious? I asked you already Don. What's wrong with her?"

Donnie put his hands on his hips. "I told you before Raphael, there's nothing wrong with her. Other than the injuries that are healing she seems to be in pretty good shape."

"But what was wrong with her throat then?" Raph asked, now thoroughly confused.

"Nothing." Don repeated and Raph was getting real tired of hearing it, so Donatello elaborated. "Nothing. No evidence of damage to her vocal chords, no scars, no nothing. Don't you find that curious?"

Raph's neon green eyes clouded with confusion as he glanced in Mona's direction. "B-But if there's no damage…why can't she speak? It's obvious she can hear and understand what we're saying."

Don's face was impassive. "My guess: She can."

Mona Lisa was beyond confused. Feeling suddenly overwhelmed she clung once again to Raphael's arm.

Raph took one look at Mona and shook his head. "I don't know, Don. If she could speak, why wouldn't she have just…ya know…?"

Don sighed. "I could be that she doesn't know she can."

Raph's eye ridges furrowed and Mona looked completely bewildered. "Huh?" The hothead stammered.

"Well, suppose she was first captured by the humans when she was very young. Now if she were physically able to talk at that time, which I bet she was, she suddenly found herself surrounded by strange people. There is a chance that perhaps she **chose** not to speak around her captors. Then perhaps as time passed she simply forgot that she had the ability altogether. She could still understand what was being said to her, but she no longer remembered how to speak back."

Raph's frown was deep. That seemed…plausible. But still… "That's a lot of 'what ifs' Don."

"It's one of many possibilities, Raphael. However, the fact remains that she should be able to speak."

"But you said she doesn't know how." Raph pointed out. "So how can we re-teach it to her?"

Don's frown was akin to Raph's. "We can't. Unless she is able to tap into the reservoir of memories buried deep in her mind before the humans…she probably won't be able to speak."

Mona lowered her head and scowled at the floor, wishing she could remember more.

* * *

Later that evening after the other turtles had long since retired, Raphael and Mona Lisa sat side by side watching television. Cartoons to be exact. Cartoons were what Mona liked best. Raph preferred action films, but he'd decided that films like that might be a little too much for Mona, so he had allowed her to pick what she wanted.

Suddenly, during the commercial break Mona turned to him and poked his shoulder to get his attention. Raph glanced over at her curiously and she lowered her head. Raph raised an eye-ridge. Mona began to gesture to him slowly in sign language. Raph didn't always understand everything, but he had sat in Donnie and Mona's lessons and had learned to understand enough to get by. Slowly she asked: 'Are you disappointed?'

Both of Raphael's eye-ridges furrowed. He was very confused. "What are you talking about? Why would I be disappointed?"

Mona let out a long puff of air. 'Are you disappointed that I no speak?'

Raph's bottom lip pushed out into a frown as he tried to figure out the right way to say this. "Mona…the fact that you don't speak doesn't mean anything. And it doesn't change anything, either. I don't care whether you speak with actions or with sounds. In the end your voice is just as powerful." Raph blushed and looked away. _Did I seriously just say that?_ He did a mental face-palm. _That was so cheesy and sappy! I can't believe I just said that!_

Mona Lisa smiled wide and wrapped her arms around Raph's shoulders in a tight hug.

Raph didn't really know how to react so he just sat tight. Mona lay her head on his shoulder and the hothead could suddenly feel his cheeks getting hot. The lizard mutant lifted her head and Raph turned to look at her. She smiled and, without warning, swooped in to press a gentle kiss to his cheek.

Raph was certain that his face was as red as his mask. Mona giggled a little at his blush before once again resting her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the two of them were in much the same position, but with one difference. Mona Lisa was asleep. Raph turned and glanced down at her sleeping form, wondering whether or not he should carry her to her room. In the end he decided that it would be better to disturb her as little as possible, so he carefully extricated himself from her grasp and lay her down gently on the couch. Raph lay the blanket over her gently and it wasn't long before Mona clung to it tightly. He smiled.

Then his thoughts went back to the week prior. That morning before breakfast when she had…

An emerald green hand slowly came up and his fingers brushed against the cheek she had kissed. The longer he looked down at her the more his smile dimmed with thought. Should he…?

Neon green eyes glared left and right, searchingly, and found nobody there. So who would even know?

Ever so slowly, Raphael bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, the same way she had done. Yeah…maybe it wasn't the tough guy thing to do…he could have just walked away without giving a damn, but it didn't really matter since there was no one here to judge.

Raphael smirked. _After all, nobody has to know._ The smirk softened a little as he turned out the light in the main room, taking one last glance at the lizard mutant on the couch before the darkness settled.

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it? What was your favorite part? Are you pleased with the result?**

 **P.S. I had a real hard time coming up with a chapter title for this chapter. That's why it's very unimaginative.**


	9. Letting Go is Never Easy

**First off, I am not telling you whose point of view this chapter is in. You'll just have to read it and find that out for yourself. HAHAHA!**

* * *

 **Ch. 9-Letting Go is Never Easy**

Raphael smirked _._ The smirk softened a little as he turned out the light in the main room, taking one last glance at the lizard mutant on the couch before the darkness settled.

I watched the tender scene impassively. I knew it. In my heart I had always known. From the very first, I had sensed the change.

I returned to my room and lay face-up on the bed. For once I actually allowed myself to get lost in thought, no longer caring about my surroundings. After about an hour I sprang up and made my way to the dojo feeling restless.

I ran through some of my more advanced katas, but my movements were distractedly sloppy. Finally I growled quietly in frustration before punching the tree in the center of the dojo with all my might. I was careful not to make any noise. I did not wish to awaken any of my sons.

I sighed. I could always ask Raphael not to pursue a relationship. Best to do it now before he gets in too deep. I know that he would respect my wishes. My shoulders tensed and I swiveled slowly around. I softened a little and approached the small bookshelf, lifting the picture off of it delicately. My fingers brushed lightly over the figure of my beloved Tang Shen and I could hear her voice in my head: _You have no right to inhibit their love, Yoshi._

My grip on the frame tightened and I whispered aloud to myself. "I have every right! I am his father! He is too young—"

 _Too young for what, Yoshi? Too young to have someone he cares about?_

"Too young to be in a relationship! Too young to bear that kind of responsibility! Too young to realize the danger it may bring! Too young…" My voice sank to an almost inaudible murmur, "Too young to be pulled from his family in such a manner."

 _Pulled from his family? Or pulled from his training?_

My finger tip traced Tang Shen's hair wistfully and I sighed. My shoulders drooped and I returned the picture to its rightful place. I padded softly to the center of the dojo beneath the tree and dropped into a cross-legged position. It wasn't long before I fell into a very deep state of meditation.

Her voice repeatedly echoed in my head: _Pulled from his family? Or pulled from his training?_

I sighed. _Training is not all I care about, Shen._

 _Then what are you really afraid of? What is there to lose in allowing your son this opportunity for growth?_

My eyes screwed tightly closed as I struggled to hone my focus. _Raphael is only seventeen! He's still a child!_

I could swear that I could actually feel her frustration as she went on. _Hardly a child anymore, my love. Look at the challenges he has faced, the sacrifices he has made, the life he has lived so far. He is grown. He is his own. So I ask you again, Yoshi: What is there to lose?_

 _A son._ I confessed, my true fear finally coming to light. I belatedly realized that it wasn't Raphael whom I feared for, but myself. I was afraid of losing my son.

 _Then you would deny him happiness to keep him close to you?_

I could feel a tear running down the side of my face even before my eyes opened. I voiced my thoughts aloud, "I love my sons, Tang Shen. I love each and every one of them. And as close as I hold them to my heart, I could never deny them happiness." I rose to my feet and trotted over to the shelf. My fingers gently gripped the framed portrait and I smiled down at it. "You always had a way of reasoning with me, my love." I hugged the framed picture to my chest and bowed my head.

I stood that way in silence for a minute or so before I finally put the picture down and with one final caress returned to my chambers. My heart was heavy. Raphael is young and I still do not believe he is ready for a relationship. But I will do nothing to stand in his way.

* * *

The following morning I worked my sons harder than usual in training. I wasn't doing it on purpose, it resulted more from my being distracted. I was so distracted in fact that I didn't realize I was paying more attention to Raphael than his brothers. I had already corrected his form more than five times. Not that that was unusual, Raphael was often sloppy with his form, but I didn't usually make him repeat every move until it was perfect. For Raphael, I had no doubt that such an assignment was pure torture. Still, it seemed to have worked, for on the next set of katas Raphael's form was much more precise.

I raised an eyebrow. Raphael seemed very focused this morning. Hmm. I wonder…

 _"Raphael, come at me."_ I commanded in Japanese.

His brothers exchanged confused glances and Raphael hesitated reluctantly.

My eyes narrowed. _"Raphael, I said come at me."_ I instructed sternly.

Raphael nodded, drew his sais and charged. I dodged every movement easily and grabbed a kanabo from the wrack on the dojo wall and brought it swung it downward. He anticipated the movement easily and caught the club weapon with his sais. I swung again and he swept to the side, narrowly missing being hit by a few centimeters.

I had to fight the grin that threatened to turn up the corner of my mouth. I had him right where I wanted him. For a split second amidst the chaos Raphael's laser green gaze stared directly into mine. Everything slowed. I swung once more and as I did so, one of my hands released the kanabo and went straight for a pressure point. My red masked son's firey green eyes narrowed and as my hand propelled towards him he swept down. I was puzzled by this action because it put several of his more vulnerable pressure points within reach. It wasn't until after the kanabo had been kicked out of my hand and landed with a mighty thud that I realized Raphael now had the advantage. But just because he had the upper hand, didn't mean he was about to risk losing it. Before I could so much as pull back my hand that had been reaching for his pressure point, Raphael grabbed it and used every ounce of his strength to propel me into a flip. Once he had me on my back, he pointed his sais at my face. His brothers stared with dropped jaws.

"Very good, Raphael." I praised.

He smirked and tucked his sais back in his belt. And like a venomous snake, I struck. My fingers pressed against his pressure point. Raphael seized and fell to his knees. I chuckled. "Do not allow an enemy's praise to distract you, my son. They will take advantage of your distraction."

Raphael looked over at me exhaustedly. "Hai…Sensei." He gasped out.

A voice from behind me made me turn to face my other three sons.

"No offense Raph, but how did _you_ pin Sensei?" Leonardo asked disbelievingly.

I smiled a little. "You brother had several advantages, my son. First, he was able to sense what my moves would be before I made them. He has seen me use the kanabo before in the past. What is most important, however, was that he sensed I was purposely manipulating him so that I could gain the upper hand through a trick move. Tell me, Raphael, how did you realize what I was attempting?"

Raph sat up as best he could. "I—I…It was the way you swung Sensei. Your left hand was the one applying all the force. On your previous swings, you'd used both sides equally. I just kinda realized that since your left hand was swinging the kanabo, your right hand would be trying something else."

I smiled. "Very sound reasoning, my son. You are in very good focus today." I went over and picked up the kanabo off the dojo floor. A smirk spread across my face as I turned to my other three sons. "So who's next?"

All three of them paled.

* * *

About an hour and a half later, when all four of them were completely exhausted, I called it quits. "You are dismissed, my sons."

They all sighed in relief and headed for the door.

"Raphael."

Raphael turned to face me with a rather confused look on his face. His brothers also turned towards me, but theirs were stares of curiosity.

I lowered my voice slightly to a less admonishing tone. "I should like you to remain for a moment please." Raphael looked almost fearful. I sighed. "There is a matter I wish to discuss with you in private."

Michelangelo's eyes narrowed and he smirked. "Oooh, you're in trouble!" He taunted and I sent him a very hard reprimanding glare.

"Michelangelo!" I said loudly, making my youngest son jolt fearfully. Donatello and Leonardo stiffened, sending a worried look in Raphael's direction. I looked at each of them in turn and said sternly: "Leave us, all of you. I must speak to your brother."

Leonardo nodded and within a few moments was able to urge the other turtles to go with him.

As soon as they were gone Raphael returned to the center of the dojo and bowed respectfully to me. "You wish to speak with me, Sensei?"

I placed a hand on his shoulder and gripped tightly. My voice was hard. "Yes Raphael. There is a very serious matter to be discussed." I couldn't stop some of my own sadness from slipping into my tone.

If it were any of the others, they probably wouldn't have noticed. But this was Raphael, the most emotional of my sons. He heard the change instantly. "Sensei?" He asked, unsurely.

I took a deep breath. Sensei. I repeated to myself. Raphael hasn't called me father in a very, very long time. I realized. That realization left a bitter taste in my mouth as I went on. "I—I witnessed the moment you shared with Mona Lisa last night, my son."

Every muscle in his shoulders visibly tensed and I could feel them quivering beneath my fingers. Not wanting to remain forever in this moment of suspense I went on. "Do you…have feelings for her, my son?"

There was a long slow moment of tortuous silence before Raphael finally nodded and stammered, "I have—feelings—for her Sensei. I'm just…I don't really…that is to say…"

I drew enough from his words to complete the thought, "You are not yet sure what they entail."

He let out a grateful sigh. He seemed pleased that I had understood what he was trying to say. But I still was not mollified.

"My son, do you intend to pursue a relationship with Mona Lisa?"

Raphael's eyes flashed and he drew away from my grip. "I—I—I'm not…I…"

I leveled a hard stare at my temperamental son and finally he deflated. All the walls that Raphael surrounded himself with came crashing down and he spoke his heart to me.

"I want to." He confessed.

I closed my eyes, bowed my head, and nodded. I had presumed as much. Now came the hard part. "I had assumed that you would."

Raphael looked up at me warily. No doubt he had heard the stiffness in my voice. "You do not approve?" He asked flatly.

I sighed. "I am your father, Raphael. I am concerned. You are so young. I worry that you may not be strong enough to carry such weight on your shoulders."

"My brothers and I have carried the weight of the world on our shoulders, Sensei." Raphael responded plainly.

I shook my head. "But you are still just a child."

He straightened and stared straight into my eyes. "I'm not a child any more."

I couldn't help it. I pulled him into a tight embrace. "You will always be a child in your father's eyes." My voice grew quieter. "I suppose I am being an overprotective Father, Raphael. Or perhaps I am just being selfish. But I do not want to let you go. I do not want to believe that you have grown up or that you can now lead a life of your own because I do not want to face the fact that I am losing one of my sons." Raphael allowed me to hug him for quite some time, for which I was very grateful. It was no secret that Raphael did not like long bouts of physical contact. We stood in silence until my red-masked son pulled away.

His emerald green hand tentatively came to rest on my shoulder and he stared up at me once again. "You'll never lose me Father. I'll always be your son."

I smiled widely at him and pulled him forward to place an affectionate kiss on his forehead, something I hadn't done in quite some time.

"EW! Sensei!" He exclaimed, wiping his forehead furiously.

I laughed for a few moments before my expression sobered. "If there is ever anything you need, my child…"

Raph grinned. "I know, Father. Thank you."

I raised an eyebrow. "For what, my son?"

"For taking in four little mutant turtles."

I smiled and reached out to stroke the side of his face gently. "I love you very much, Raphael."

His voice was lower than a whisper and I was thankful for my sensitive ears. "I love you too, Father."

* * *

Later that evening my sons went out on patrol. This was the first time all four of them had gone on patrol since they'd rescued Mona Lisa. Up until today they had been doing split patrols, which meant two going one night and two going the next. That way there were always a couple of them here to keep Mona Lisa occupied.

But tonight she was restless. I had decided to keep a watchful eye on her, since this was her first time being in the lair without any of my sons around. I think she wanted my company because she constantly turned to make sure I wasn't going anywhere. As I sat on the couch and turned on one of my favorite soap operas Mona Lisa came over and joined me. When the commercials came on she tapped my shoulder and I turned to her. She gestured to the clock on the wall and I sighed.

"You seem very impatient for them to return." I stated.

Mona just frowned and pointed at the clock questioningly.

I sighed. "There is no way of knowing what time they will return, little one. It depends on what goes on up there."

That didn't satisfy her. She pouted and began to gesture to me. I wasn't very well versed in sign language, but I did my best. She motioned, 'How can you just let them go?'

I sighed yet again. "It is never easy. But I must force myself to accept the fact that they are no longer children. I can no longer be with them one hundred percent of the time. I can't protect them as much as I would like to."

'You are not concerned?' She asked, her brown eyes flooded with confusion.

"I am always concerned. Over time I have learned that being concerned does not make time flow any faster, nor does it get them back any sooner."

Mona seemed to gnaw on that for a moment before she finally nodded. 'So we must let them be free because they serve a greater purpose than just being there for us?'

I smiled and nodded.

Mona Lisa smiled dimly back, her eyes a little more understanding. Calm spread between us as we both suppressed our concern. Right now there was nothing we could do but wait patiently. The atmosphere grew peaceful. After the soap opera was through I glanced over at Mona Lisa. On one of her earlier days here at the lair, she had asked me about the purpose of meditation. Since then I had found that she enjoyed meditation and so she often joined Leonardo and I during our daily sessions. Now I think it could serve as a good distraction. "Would you care to meditate with me, Mona Lisa?"

She nodded and I couldn't help but smile. Her energy was similar to Michelangelo's but she applied it differently. She tuned it into a very fine focus with ease, whereas Michelangelo was a little more wild and rambunctious.

We entered the dojo and settled on the mats in silence. Both of us were deep in meditation when a loud yell startled us both.

"Sensei, help!"

* * *

 **I know, I know, I'm ending it on a cliffhanger. I'm sorry, but I felt like this was the best place to end it this time. It would have been way too long if I hadn't. Review please! I know that there was no Mona/Raph interaction in this chapter, but there will be plenty next chapter. Was Splinter's character believable?**


	10. Sucker Punch

**Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I did! I think I like the end better than the beginning, but basically Raphael has some emotional outbursts, Leo and Mikey laugh, Mona gets mad, and Donnie has a very important realization.**

* * *

 **Ch. 9-Sucker Punch**

"Sensei help!"

 _The voice was Leonardo's._ Splinter's mind supplied.

Mona Lisa and Master Splinter rushed out into the main room in a tizzy. They both stopped and gasped at the sight before them.

The turtles looked horrible. Their skin was covered in a thick layer of dirt and grime and their shells were tarnished with black grease smudges and fresh dents. They were all worse for wear, each turtle sporting some sort of wound except for Michelangelo who cradled his right arm in a rather awkward fashion.

Splinter looked over each of them carefully. Leonardo had odd, banana-shaped wound on his left forearm. How he received it, Splinter could only imagine. Michelangelo's arm appeared to be the extent of his injuries, for which Splinter was internally grateful. Donatello had a rather worrisome gash in the upper left edge of his plastron, but it thankfully seemed to have stopped bleeding quite some time ago since the blood was already dried and flaking. Good. So far no major injuries.

Splinter wasn't looking forward to seeing what kind of injuries Raphael had brought home this time. If the other brothers, who were usually more careful than Raphael, were this hurt it usually meant that Raphael would be even worse. But surprisingly enough, even though he was fairly badly hurt, Raphael appeared to be...brooding?

A quick double take proved that the red masked turtle was indeed sprawled in his customary brooding position, with fire in his eyes and anger in his heart. As much as he wanted to run over and fret over his son's injuries, Splinter wouldn't dare. Raphael was exuding an aura much too dark and far too dangerous for his liking. No, as mush as he wanted to help, now was not the moment.

Right now all four of his sons needed his help. He would come back to Raphael when the anger had lessened.

* * *

Mona Lisa, on the other hand, did not seem to sense the danger, or if she did she paid it no heed. All she could see was the blood. So much blood.

Raphael had two, almost identical lacerations in his left arm and right thigh. His shell had almost three times the number of smudges and dents as his brothers. With one rather interesting addition: two dark, painful looking bruises. One on his chin and one on his left cheek just below the eye. Splinter grimaced. Raphael's left eye was practically swollen shut. That would turn into a very nasty black eye if not attended immediately.

Mona Lisa rushed over and dropped to her knees. She reached out and cradled Raph's face in her hands but he jerked away roughly and growled. Mona Lisa sat back a little for a few moments. Raphael had never behaved this way towards her before and she wasn't really sure what to do about it. Yes, he had growled at her before, but that was a form of play. This? This was definitely not play. Raphael was not playing.

With a defiantly determined glint in her eye, Mona Lisa pressed forward and began examining his injuries.

"Mona Lisa, what the Shell?! Leave me alone!" He bellowed, roughly shoving her backwards.

Mona toppled unceremoniously on her butt and glared at the emerald green turtle through the wild and wavy locks that had fallen in front of her face.

"Just leave me alone!" Raph repeated, a little more quietly, but just as emphatic.

Mona glared angrily at him, with steam coming out of her ears. She was about to walk over and slap him, but Master Splinter beat her to it. He trudged over and gave Raphael a hard whack over the head with his stick.

"OW! Sensei!"

"Raphael, you should be ashamed of yourself talking to Mona Lisa like that! She has the kindness to be concerned about you and you berate her?!"

As soon Raph thought about what his Father had said he felt pretty small. "I—I—"

Splinter held up a hand and Raphael went completely silent. "Don't apologize to me, my son."

"Hai Sensei. Mona—I—I'm sorry." He whispered.

"What was that? I don't think she heard you." Leonardo goaded with a smile.

"SORRY! Okay! SORRY?!"

The other turtles flinched at Raphael's sudden burst of volume. Mona Lisa shook a little at the volume, but once Raph was done she rolled her eyes. She crawled over to the turtle slowly and sat in front of him. Soft fingers danced over his shoulder and face as she resumed her examination of his injuries.

"I really am sorry." He whispered under his breath so that none of the others would hear. Mona smiled and pressed their foreheads together affectionately. Raph blushed a little, but when he caught Michelangelo smirking, he shook it off.

Mona's fingers finally came up to examine the swollen area around his eye and Raph hissed. She glanced down at him curiously. He lifted her hand away. "Don't touch it." He snapped dryly. Mona frowned, she didn't like his tone, but she could tell that he wasn't snapping at her this time, so it didn't bother her very much. The lizard mutant's bottom lip pushed out into a pout. Something else was wrong.

Raphael wasn't acting like himself. He was quiet, and angry. Splinter may have assumed that Mona Lisa hadn't been aware of the hotheaded turtle's anger, but he was very wrong. She had sensed it from the moment she set eyes on him. But that didn't deter her from making certain that the hothead was hale, healthy and whole. She cared too much.

Besides, she wasn't afraid of Raphael. Mona knew that the emerald green turtle would never purposely hurt anyone. Of course she had never seen him in battle... But even if she had, the gentle unassuming lizard somehow knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Raphael would never hurt her. Call it instincts, or perhaps just plain stubbornness, Mona was determined to see to it that the turtle took care of himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Raphael had fallen back into his deep pool of anger and exasperation. Today was a very hard day. Truth be told, he'd taken a very hard knock in the pride. He was angry and upset. And the way his brothers had taunted him on the way home hadn't exactly helped much. This wasn't one of those things that would be easily forgotten either. This was going to be a black mark on his record. His brothers would be teasing him about this for weeks, months, and possibly even years.

It had just been so stupid! Such a stupid mistake! Urrrgh! He really needed to kill something right now... He hauled himself to his feet and immediately began to totter. Mona Lisa surged forward, wrapped her arms around him and gently lowered him down to the ground again.

Now that Raphael had calmed a little, Splinter approached them. Mona stepped aside to allow the old rat enough space to get to work. The wounds on Raph's arm and leg were still bleeding.

"Donatello, I need some clean rags! We must stop the bleeding."

Donnie nodded, his expression entirely serious. He was a healer, so injuries were something he seldom joked about…but he had to admit…Raph's black eye was rather amusing. Still there were wounds that needed to be cleaned and dressed. But even so, the genius failed to keep a slightly amused scoff from leaving his throat.

Splinter Stared incredulously at the smart turtle, briefly wondering if Donatello had suffered a head injury. "You think this is amusing, my son?"

Don paled a little at his father's tone and shook his head. "Nah Sensei. It isn't that. It's just…Raph's face."

Raphael looked down and away, prompting a frown from Master Splinter. The old rat's frown only deepened as he realized that Michelangelo, too, was doing his best to hold back a laughing fit. Even Leonardo had a tiny crook of a smile on his face.

"There is nothing comedic about an injury, my children." The rat mutant scolded.

Mikey chimed in, "It's not the injury Sensei. It's how he got it that's so hilarious."

Splinter took the clean towels offered to him by Donatello and immediately began applying pressure to the wound on Raphael's leg. The red masked turtle hissed and tried to squirm away, but Splinter held firm.

Suddenly, Raphael felt something else, besides the pain. Something warm pressing against his side. Mona. He realized. Green eyes swiveled over to his right side, quickly widening in surprise at what he saw. His cheeks flushed and he could do little else but stare. Mona had snuggled up to him, arranging it so that he had his arm around her shoulders. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his middle, and Raphael had a feeling she didn't care that he was covered in dirt and grime.

Once the bleeding had stopped, Splinter handed the care of Raphael's wounds over to Donatello and examined the red-masked turtle's face. "How did this happen, my child?"

Michelangelo finally exploded with laughter. Raphael refused to meet his father's or Mona's inquiring glances. Mona Lisa frowned and tilted Raph's down so she could stare directly into his eyes. Raph sighed and opened his mouth to reply, but again, they were cut off by Michelangelo.

"Awww, man, you guys should have seen it! Raphael got sucker punched right in the face...by Fong! Ahahahahahahaha!" The orange masked turtle wiped a tear from the corner of his eye dramatically, "Oh, it's just too much!"

"Rrrrrrgh," Raphael growled warningly.

"Don't be such a grouch, Raphael." Donnie instructed chidingly, "After all, you guys laughed at me for getting beat up by a monkey!"

All they got was a another growl. Mona Lisa eyes narrowed into a rather chilling glare. Master Splinter raised a curious eyebrow, but said nothing to warn his sons. Though, in retrospect, he probably should have.

Mona was furious. Raphael was injured. Very serious injuries! And what were the other turtles doing?! Laughing at him! One glance at Raph was all that Mona had needed. Suddenly everything clicked. She was observant enough to realize that being punched in the face by this…Fong…had deeply upset Raphael. It had bruised his pride probably. Mona Lisa wasn't a child. The lizard mutant had recognized almost from the very first that Raphael had much more attitude than his brothers… and probably twice the amount of ego. But this…this had upset his measure of confidence. Not to mention sent his self-esteem plunging down the tubes…

Raphael was hurt. Physically and emotionally. And his brothers were laughing at him.

Splinter was a very wise old rat. He had recognized the look in Mona's eyes as soon as it appeared there. While he found it very interesting, the rat knew better than to stand in the war zone, so he took several steps backward. Leonardo noticed and raised an eye-ridge at his father. Splinter said nothing.

Mona may have been silent, but damn she certainly wasn't about to let that keep her from putting the three turtle brothers in their place. In an angry uproar she stomped over to the nearest of Raph's brothers, who just so happened to be Michelangelo, and shoved him backwards with all of her might to get her point across.

The youngest turtle fell backwards several feet and straight into Donatello. Together the two youngest toppled into an undignified heap on the floor.

Leonardo had followed his Sensei's example and moved out of the line of fire, but as soon and Donnie and Mikey were 'taken down' he chuckled and Mona Lisa wheeled around to face him. The eldest turtle stiffened as Mona crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

Leo held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, what did we do?"

She began to gesture wildly and emphatically, but unfortunately, Leonard was pretty bad at charades and even worse at sign. "Translation, please?"

"She says: What did you DO?!" Raph supplied.

Leo's eye-ridges furrowed in confusion.

Mona went on and Raph 'translated' for Leo.

"You laughed at him and he's hurt! Don't you realize that you're only hurting him even more?! I can't believe that you're so cruel to your own brother!"

Leo sighed. "Oh, come on, Mona…We were just having a little fun…"

"Mona Lisa is in the right, my sons. You should not treat your brother in such a manner while he is injured."

Ever one to voice the things nobody else would dare Michelangelo blurted, "What about after he's better Sensei? _Then_ can we laugh at him?"

'Sure thing.' Mona gestured making Donatello laugh.

"Hey!" Raph yelled annoyedly. "I thought you were on my side!"

Mona rolled her eyes, 'I am, for now.'

"Don't think I won't get back at you for this you…you…backstabber!" Raph whined angrily.

Mona stuck out her tongue at him and Raphael couldn't help but smile softly.

Donatello raised an eye-ridge. _Could it be more than a passing interest?_ The brainiac's thoughts from the day before echoed. _They really did show all the signs. But how? They're just so…so…so different. I mean, come on…_ She's sweet, unimposing, and very kind. Raphael is very emotional, dramatic, hard-headed, hotheaded, and a whole lot of other not-so-desirable attributes but…Raph was kind…or at least, he was when he wanted to be. He was also very caring, very comforting, very protective…Hmmm…Perhaps Raph had a lot more going for him in the relationship department than Donnie had originally thought. And when it came to brothers…sure Leo was the one to go to when you had a problem, Mikey was the one to seek when you needed company, but when you wanted someone to watch your back…it was always Raph. And as for his brash nature, that was just Raph. That was part of his personality. It wasn't something that could be changed, and Don had the feeling that Mona Lisa wouldn't want to.

The lizard mutant had opened up a side to Raph that the other turtles had never seen, or at least not since they were eight or so before Raph grew so closed off. It was like Mona had lit up that fun side of Raphael, the playful side, the gentle side.

All the bits of the puzzle slid into place and Donatello realized something very important…

 _They're falling in love with each other._

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it? Was it believable? Was it too wishy-washy?**


	11. Trial and Horror

**Mikey being awkward, Leonardo being frustrated, Donatello being flippant, Raph being protective, Mona getting angry, and Forks in the Ceiling. What more could I have squeezed in this chapter?**

* * *

 **Ch. 11-Trial and Horror**

Three days passed. Raphael and the others had returned to training after a one day hiatus. Sure, their injuries weren't quiet healed yet, but as long as they were careful it wasn't too much of an issue. Michelangelo had a very difficult time due to the limited mobility of his arm, and as such he was allowed only to participate in the lighter exercises.

Raphael was on orders from both Donatello and Master Splinter to stay away from any arduous exercise on account of the fact that his balance was slightly off. Donnie wasn't really certain why Raph was having so much trouble walking in a straight line, but he suspected that it was a combination of the black eye and the wound on the hothead's thigh. Raph had grown quickly frustrated at not being able to walk more than fifty steps without stumbling and by now all of them had gotten used to hearing rough grumbles wherever the red-masked turtle ventured.

Leonardo's arm wound still hadn't quite healed yet and it was giving him trouble in his practice because he couldn't stretch his arms the way he wanted to without fear of re-opening the wound. In short, the blue-masked ninja leader was also frustrated.

And everyone in the turtle lair, with the exception of Mona, knew that a frustrated hothead and a frustrated leader never mix.

The two older turtles had been snapping at each other more often over the last few days. And every time they did both Michelangelo and Donatello did their best to ignore it. It was difficult, but the two younger turtles knew it was their brothers' way of releasing pent-up frustrations.

Mona was very confused by the whole thing. It surprised her how easily Leonardo and Raphael were able to set each other off. The two of them were candles, or perhaps, more accurately in this case, sticks of dynamite and they both knew exactly how to light each other's fuse. And when they exploded…oh man…Mona wanted nothing more than to crawl on her bed and pull the pillow down over her ears. They were so loud…and Raph was so angry…Leo was angry as well, but Raph's anger disturbed Mona a little more. It was even more volatile, more explosive.

And after each and every fight, when Raph stormed off to brood, Mona followed and watched him from a vantage point a few feet away. Whenever he actually stomped off to his room, Mona would sit directly outside it and listen as best she could. She could tell that what had been said during the fights bothered the hotheaded turtle, even if it hadn't seemed so at the time.

On that third night Leonardo and Raphael got into a raging fight at the dinner table of all places. No one made any move to stop it, not even Master Splinter. The fight escalated and kept right on going until it hit the ceiling. Literally. Both of the eldest turtles were shouting across the table at the top of their lungs.

What had started as a petty argument had somehow graduated into a family feud. Finally, with a deep, dark growl Raphael stood up and flung his fork up in the air to vent his frustration. But, to his very great surprise, it never came down. Bright green eyes glared skyward at the fork that was now quite effectively embedded in the ceiling. He growled in exasperation tossed up his hands, clenched them into fists, turned his back to the table and walked off without even taking a bite of his dinner.

Mona's eyes darkened. With a loud screech she stood rapidly, her chair dragged against the concrete floor. She glanced in the direction Raphael had gone and frowned.

"Raph's being a big baby. Just let him go."

A four-fingered fist slammed down on the table and everyone, both turtle and rat, jumped in their chairs. Mikey, Donnie, and Leo exchanged looks of surprise. Master Splinter just watched, his face impassive.

'You don't order me.' She gestured flatly before whirling around, her hair whipping after her.

Donnie shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the table suddenly grew awkwardly still. Leo growled softly as he pushed his food around the plate, no longer in the mood to eat.

Mikey felt like he should go and see if Mona and Raph were okay, but something in his gut told him that was a bad idea. So instead, the youngest turtle turned his eyes upward. "Hey guys?" He asked meekly.

"What Mikey?!" Leo snapped.

Mikey's eyes narrowed, but he dismissed the eldest turtle's rather demeaning tone as left over frustration. His baby-blue eyes widened a little, giving him a look of innocence as he asked… "How do we get that fork out of the ceiling?"

* * *

Mona stood in front of Raphael's door. The stop sign was right at her eye level and it made her hesitate. What if Raph needed to be alone? Maybe she should just go away and come back later…No, she needed to do this now. One hand reached out to knock lightly on the door, but after a moment's hesitation she recoiled. Mona didn't want to make the frustrated turtle any angrier…She began to walk away, but after taking two small steps she wheeled around. Mona Lisa reached out again, only to once again turn away. Finally, as she began to walk away she changed her mind yet again and turned around. A frustrated sigh could be heard through the door and the hothead's voice shouted, "You know, I can hear you out there! Just make up your mind, already!"

The lizard mutant blushed a little at having gotten caught. But nevertheless, she moved forward and pushed her way inside. Mona canted her head as Raphael turned to her with a surprised stare.

"Oh Mona! I—I thought you were Mikey. He's the only one who usually comes after me…"

A short silence spread between them and finally Mona signed, 'Are you alright?'

Raphael looked confused. "Yeah, of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be alright?" He asked, but Mona could see right through him. Even though most of what had been said was said in anger, it had still affected the hotheaded turtle greatly.

Mona Lisa's eyes glinted with determination as she surged forward, ignoring the soft murmur of surprise from Raphael. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and pressed her face against his plastron.

Raph chuckled and slowly returned the hug softly. His grip on her was light and careful, as though she were fragile and might shatter at any moment.

The lizard mutant leaned into the contact. Raph's cheeks flushed and he held her a little bit closer. His anger was gone. Replaced by the tenderness of the moment. As he stared down into her eyes, the hothead suddenly found himself being drawn in. He unknowingly began to move downward. One of Mona's arms found it's way to the back of his neck and she pulled herself up towards him. Their lips were within inches of each other. As they both moved mindlessly closer and closer, neither of them felt anything but the intense sensation of being so close. Lips almost touching Mona Lisa grinned a little and Raph did the same. And then…

The door flew open and bounced against the inner wall of Raph's room with a loud bang. The lizard and the red-masked turtle jolted apart, their faces a bright crimson. Raphael stared in shock at what he had almost done. The emerald green turtle rubbed his temples with his fingers and gawked. _What was I thinking?! I can't just…I mean…she's…Urgh! Why is this so difficult? I mean, what could have possessed me to…she just came to…and I…Argh! Mona…and I…She probably didn't even know what she was doing! I can't just…That wouldn't be right…She doesn't realize the gravity of what we almost did…Does she?_

Mikey's eyes were the size of dinner plates. He'd seen enough before they'd jumped apart to know just what type of moment he'd interrupted. Feeling very embarrassed, slightly nauseated, and very guilty, the youngest turtle shuffled his feet and sputtered: "OH, uh…sorry, I—um—I didn't realize you were…busy. B-but I can see now that you are—er, busy that is. I just—um—just uh…"

Raph's blush was now gone and replaced by a very, very, very angry glare. "What the Shell do you want, Mikey?" He bellowed.

Mona put a placating hand on Raph's shoulder and he blushed a little at the action.

At Raph's question Mikey shifted uncomfortably. "We—uh—we need you to help us get the fork out of the ceiling."

Raphael sighed. "Fine. Let's go get this over with."

* * *

When they returned to the kitchen they found Leonardo standing on Donnie's shoulders and pulling at the fork. Strange thing was…it wouldn't budge.

"Urgh! Urgh!" The leader looked down and saw Raphael smirking at him from down below. "Raphael! What the shell did you do to this thing?!"

Raph chuckled.

Donnie began to sway. "Leo! Get down! I can't hold you much longer!"

"Hang on Donnie, I've almost got it!"

"Leo!"

"I said hang on, Don!" Leo yelled down insistently .

"LEO!" Donnie yelled as he finally teetered and tumbled into Michelangelo.

Leo closed his eyes and waited for an impact…which never came. Dark blue eyes opened to find himself literally hanging midair. He glanced over at the hand gripping the fork, which was thankfully still embedded quite deeply in the ceiling. Silence spread over the brothers as they stared up in awe at Leo, who was now clinging to the fork for dear life. Then there was a long, low creak.

The eldest turtle grimaced. "Aw shell."

The fork finally slipped from the ceiling and Leonardo was falling. Falling, falling, falling…not falling. Leo opened his eyes which he had screwed shut during the fall. To his very great surprise, he found himself suspended in the arms of his immediate younger brother.

Raphael chuckled. "Well, well, well. Looks like I rescued the damsel in distress."

Leonardo growled and snapped, "If you hadn't thrown this up there in the first place this wouldn't have happened!" He waved the fork in Raphael's face.

Raph frowned. "I always could have let you fall."

The eldest turtle glared. "Why didn't you?"

Raph set Leonardo down and stared up into his older brother's eyes. "Because you're my brother. And no matter how many fights we may get into, nothing is going to change that. I'm not just going to stand by and watch my brother get hurt."

Leo's glare softened and his shoulders loosened at the soft declaration. Raphael had never really realized it, but his words had a way of making Leo think about things. And this was one of those times.

The eldest turtle bowed his head a little with guilt. "Hey Raph, I—I'm…"

Raph put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Me too."

Leo clapped his hand over Raph's shoulder and the fight from earlier was as good as forgotten. From behind Raphael, Mona Lisa smiled.

Suddenly the sound of a commotion in the front room made the turtles exchange glances. They all reached for their weapons and moved out of the kitchen towards the main room. Raphael tucked Mona Lisa protectively behind him as they neared the source of the noise. She frowned a little at that, but did nothing to oppose the action.

Within moments the familiar figure of Casey Jones was bounding over to them. Mona smiled a little and pushed her way out from behind Raphael to greet the human. Casey smiled, "Hey beautiful, how's it going?"

Mona Lisa blushed.

Raph crossed his arms. "What are you doing here Casey? You didn't tell us you were going to be down today."

Casey Jones gave his best bud a toothy grin. "Thought we could hang out. I brought someone else with me, too." The hockey player gestured and April emerged from the shadows with a smile on her face.

"Hey guys!" She greeted jovially.

"April!" They exclaimed happily. Donatello rushed over and immediately began a conversation since he hadn't seen her in a while. Leonardo and Michelangelo took a few steps towards her.

Raph did the same until he realized that Mona was no longer at his side. He glanced around and when he finally laid eyes on her he raised an eye-ridge. She had moved all the way to the other side of the room. She look like a leaf in autumn and never took her eyes off of the two humans. Raphael made sure to be cautious in his approach. "Mona?" She didn't respond. "Are you alright?" Raph asked, placing a soft hand on her wrist.

Mona jolted at his touch, but once she realized it was him, she flung herself into his arms and began to sob.

Raph no longer cared about the others in the room. He cradled Mona's head in his hands, concernedly. "Mona! Mona! Mona!" She finally looked up at him as though she hadn't even realized he'd been calling her. His eye-ridges crinkled with concern. "What's wrong?"

The others heard Raph's voice from across the room and they all turned towards the hothead and the lizard mutant. The other turtles rushed over. Casey and April followed a little more slowly.

They all watched with worried faces as Raph tried and failed to calm Mona's hysterics.

April approached them slowly. She glanced at Raph and said, "Is there anything we can do? Maybe I could just—" April reached out and put a hand on Raphael's shoulder lightly. Mona's eyes widened and she glanced up April's arm and to her face. Tears ran down from her eyes and she slapped April's hand away violently.

"Mona!" Donnie yelled reprimandingly, pulling April behind him.

Mon jumped behind Raphael and trembled in fear. Raph bristled. "Don't you ever talk to her like that again." The hothead growled.

"She hurt April!" The genius retorted.

"Donnie stop." April said softly. The genius obeyed without so much as a counter argument. April took a few steps towards Raph and Mona and the lizard mutant cowered in fear. "Look at her…she's scared to death."

Casey frowned. "She wasn't this bad with me. What's up?"

Raph frowned and glanced back over his shoulder at Mona. She stared pleadingly at him with tears in her eyes. He turned back to the humans. "Look, guys, I think you should come back another time."

Casey sputtered in protest, but April nodded. "Of course Raph. We'll plan it next time too. Obviously just showing up wasn't the best idea."

Raph nodded his acknowledgement and watched the two humans exit the lair. The red-masked turtle then turned to his brothers. "Give us a few moments."

Leonardo nodded and the other turtles disappeared into the lab.

Once they were gone he turned around, only for Mona to cling to him desperately. The violent sobs wracked her entire body. Raphael just stood there with a deep frown on his face as he rubbed gentle circles into her back. He had no idea what had upset her so, but he sure as shell was going to find out.

"Mona." He said softly. She sobbed a little more before finally meeting his gaze. "What happened? You were doing so well with Casey…why?"

Tears stained her cheeks as she signed meekly, 'A female.'

"What?" Raph asked in confusion.

'A…Female.' Mona repeated, this time with her hands shaking. She closed her eyes tightly as she was bombarded by memories. More tears wet her cheeks.

There was a long moment of silence before a thought occurred to him. It was a possibility that hadn't occurred to him until now. He gripped Mona's wrists tightly and she looked up into his eyes. "Mona," he spoke slowly and did his best to remain calm even as he asked the question, "were the humans who…who did this to you…" Raph pointed to one of her scars, "were they female?"

Mona nodded and even more tears ran down her face. Raph yanked her into a tight hug and fought to contain his anger.

The lizard mutant pulled away and began to gesture, 'She would do horrible things to me…horrible things…'

Raph reached out and stopped her hands before pulling her close. "You don't have to tell me if you're not ready."

Mona nodded and returned the embrace. A whimper split the silence and Raph stared down at her in shock. Had she just…?

* * *

After getting an exhausted Mona calmed and put to bed, Raphael stormed through the lair to the lab.

His brothers all tensed as he entered. They could tell he was enraged by what he'd learned so they gave him a wide berth.

"What happened?" Leo was the first to ask.

Raph glared at the wall and slammed his fist into it.

Donnie grimaced at the sound of a cracking knuckle. Great, now he was going to have to bandage Raph's hand later.

"She freaked because of April." The hothead growled.

Donnie rolled his eyes. "Well, we deduced that. The more relevant question is: why?"

Raph's voice was low and filled with anger. "Because she was a female."

Leo's eye-ridges furrowed and Mikey was completely lost.

"Why does that matter?" the eldest turtle asked.

"Because they were female scientists, Leo! They were female scientists that…did those things to her!"

All three of Raph's brothers stiffened, first in shock, and then in rage. A dark, angry silence fell upon the room until Raphael broke it.

In a voice that was low and surprisingly level, the hothead murmured, "You were right about her vocal chords Don."

Don's eyes widened and he gave Raph an inquisitive stare.

"She whimpered." The hothead stated. "The first noise she actually made was a goddamn whimper!" He said, absolutely enraged. The red-masked turtle's chest heaved from over-exertion.

Leo put a hand on Raph's shoulder and the emerald green turtle turned towards him.

Raphael's voice was eerily calm. "I swear Leo, when I find out who did this to her I'll…"

Leonardo patted the red masked turtle's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm with you, little brother."

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it? Believable? Did you like the fork in the ceiling? What was your favorite part?**


	12. Falling Slowly

**Here it is! Enjoy!**

 ***disclaimer, I do not own either of the songs used in this chapter.**

* * *

 **Ch. 12-Falling Slowly**

Something was moving. It was the middle of the night and Raph was, most of the way, asleep. But…something was moving. Something inside of his room was moving. And that bothered him. Spike used to move around in the nighttime, but he didn't have Spike anymore. So what was—

Whatever it was that had been moving around the room suddenly pounced on him and rolled him over. Whoever it was put a hand over his mouth.

Raph struggled for a few moments before his eyes focused on the nimble form of Mona Lisa standing by his bedside. She brought a finger to her lips in a 'sh' gesture and lifted her hand away.

"Mona what—"

Again, Raph found his mouth muffled by her hand.

'Shhhhh!' She gestured more demandingly.

Mona Lisa grabbed Raph's hand and yanked at it. When Raphael made no move to get up she frowned and put her hands on her hips. The second time the lizard mutant grabbed his hand and pulled, Raph stood. Emerald green hands grabbed his mask off the table by his bed and tied on it automatically.

She smiled at him and raised a hand to brush his cheek affectionately with her fingers. Raph went beet red.

He was so flustered that Mona Lisa was actually able to grab his hand and drag him out of the room. He let out a small cry of protest making Mona frown. She pressed a finger to his lips gently and Raph stared wide-eyed.

The hotheaded turtle allowed Mona Lisa to lead him down the hall and through the lair…towards the door. As soon as Raph realized where they were headed he ground to a sudden halt. Mona turned and glared at him. She tried to pull him forward, but the turtle wouldn't budge.

Raph's glower spoke for him: he didn't want Mona going topside. She wasn't ready. There were humans everywhere. Besides, she didn't really know how to defend herself and if something happened to her…Raph would never forgive himself.

The turtle's hot green gaze cooled a little as she gave him the puppy face. He sighed and rolled his eyes, desperately trying to look away. But Mona was having none of it. She held his gaze and refused to look away. That proved to be very difficult, so in the end she settled for just reaching out pulling his face down to plant a soft kiss on his cheeks. Raph blushed and Mona giggled. She grabbed both of the turtle's hands and stared sweetly at him, pulling him gently towards the door.

Raph deflated a little and gave in. He just couldn't say no to that face. But that didn't mean he would go unarmed. That would be just stupid. So he quickly fetched his sais from the dojo.

Mona smiled happily at Raph's change of mind and jovially dragged him out the lair door and down the sewer tunnels. It didn't take the hotheaded turtle long to figure out that they were heading for the nearest manhole. Leery as he was about this whole thing, he didn't want to upset Mona Lisa by saying no.

She obviously had something in mind. As they proceeded down the tunnels Raph's gaze fell to their joined hands. He couldn't stop the heat from rising in his cheeks. Raphael's mind was reeling. _Where are we going? Why is so urgent? Is there something wrong? No, she wouldn't be cheerful if there was something wrong…Then what—_

His thoughts were cut short as they reached the manhole in question. Mona Lisa led the way.

Raphael raised an eye-ridge. _Doesn't she realize how dangerous it is up there? There are humans and mutants and…the Foot. No! I won't let anything hurt her!_ The hotheaded turtle sprang up and tugged lightly on Mona's tail. He accidently startled her and she let go of the ladder and fell down. Raph wasted no time in rushing forward and catching her.

She looked up at him in surprise, the whole thing little more than a whirl. Her cheeks colored. The lizard mutant pressed a hand to the center of his plastron and stared up into his eyes as a gesture of thanks. Then her face sweet expression melted into a glare as she playfully swatted Raph's head. She pointed at her tail made a pulling gesture and glowered at him.

Raph sputtered, "I-I—well I—I was trying to—"

Mona Lisa raised a demanding eye-ridge.

"I was trying to get your attention."

Mona rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

Raph rolled his eyes and looked away, then a thought occurred to him and he smirked. He released his grip on her and let her fall. She landed on her backside and she glared up at him. Raph chuckled.

Brown hair cascaded down in front of her face, shadowing her features and her expression. Which was advantageous, considering it meant that Raph couldn't see Mona's plotting smirk. The lizard mutant was careful not to move an inch and sure enough, after about half a minute Raph's laughter faded and he bent down concernedly.

"Mona, are you okay?"

Mona Lisa pounced and bowled the turtle over onto his carapace. She smiled in mirth as she held him down, but Raph wouldn't be subdued for long, he used his strength to reverse their positions and the two of them wrestled there in the sewers for few moments before they both grew tired and stopped. For a few moments they sat side by side, their backs leaning up against the tunnel, their legs stretched out in front of them. They smiled and caught their breath. They both breathed heavily and turned to give each other rather winded smiles.

The lizard mutant's eyes slowly ran appreciatively over the red-masked turtle's form. The tunnel was dark, but it only served to accentuate his sharply sculpted features. His eyes glimmered and sparkled in the dark, lighting up attractively when he smiled. Mona grinned, but the grin quickly faded as she looked down to where their hands lay next to each other.

Raph saw the grin on Mona's face falter and he followed her gaze down to their hands. They both lifted their gaze and stared into each other eyes. Mona Lisa blushed. _She looks cute like that._ He thought, before doing a double take. _Wait, what?!_

Slowly and tentatively, Raphael reached out and took her hand in his.

Mona's eyes widened in surprise, but she squeezed his hand reassuringly. Raph smiled. The lizard mutant smiled back, pulled her hand away, and jumped to her feet. Raph raised an eye-ridge. Mona said nothing, but she offered him her hand.

The hothead canted his head, but accepted the hand and pulled himself to his feet. He allowed Mona Lisa to lead him up topside and over into the shadows. He tensed a little and did a visual sweep of the area, just to make sure that it was safe. The two of them appeared to be the only ones out, which suited him just fine.

Mona guided him over to the fire escape and pointed up at it. Raph gave her an inquiring glance, but Mona Lisa didn't answer so the hothead sighed and pulled the ladder down for her. She nodded her thanks and proceeded up the fire escape, motioning Raph to follow after her.

 _How does she know where she's going?_ Raph wondered, confused. But that thought was quickly forgotten as Raphael found himself staring at the rooftop. A couple of old blankets, which Raph recognized as coming from the lair, were stretched out on the ground. There was also a boom box that squeaked into action. Mona Lisa bounded over and stretched out, staring up at the stars. She turned to him and motioned him to join her.

Raph's look of surprise turned into a frown. "Who set this up? My brothers?"

Mona looked crestfallen as she sat up and signed, 'You don't like it?'

The red masked turtle's frown lessened a little at her expression, "No, it's not that I don't like it…I just…well, I don't…I don't want them to set us up like this. You don't understand…It's like they're trying to…"

Mona frowned and jumped to her feet and padded softly over to him. She stared directly into his eyes and gestured slowly, 'I wanted to. I thought…I thought you might like me more if—' she stopped gesturing and looked down at her feet.

Raph, meanwhile, was wide-eyed. "Mona…what do you mean 'like you more'?"

The lizard mutant's cheeks flushed. She approached the mutant turtle and gestured, 'Like this.' With no warning, Mona Lisa pressed another soft kiss to his cheek.

Raphael's expression was completely serious. "Mona, there's a difference between liking someone and _liking_ someone."

Mona's eyes watered as she gestured, 'You don't like me?'

The hotheaded turtle put a soft hand on her shoulder. "No, it's not that. I just…I want to make sure that you know the difference between the two. Are you sure that this is more than just the friendly type of like?"

Mona Lisa nodded, still teary-eyed. Her expression as hopeful, so hopeful that Raphael like her back.

Raph let out a small sigh and pulled her close. "Mona I—I really…I do…like you. I—" Raph struggled, not really sure he'd be able to say this. "I…I like you that way too." With that soft confession, Raph leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Afterwards, he was unable to meet her gaze. His face turned as red as his mask.

Mona threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She was ecstatic. She was over the moon. She pulled herself close to his face and pressed multiple feather-light kisses to his cheeks.

Raph only got redder. He pushed her back gently, "Okay, okay! Don't push it!"

Mona smiled and rolled her eyes. She returned to the blankets and lay down, motioning Raph to join her.

This time the hothead did so without hesitation.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Raph chuckled, prompting Mona to look over at him.

Raph listened to the music for a few moments more and chuckled yet again. He looked over at Mona and raised an eye-ridge. "Let me guess…the music was Mikey's idea?"

Mona looked away and her cheeks flushed. Raph smiled and turned back to the stars. After a few moments of admiring the hothead's features, Mona did the same.

 _Take my hand. Take my whole life, too._

 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

Raph sighed and rolled his eyes. Of course Mikey put together a collection of cheesy love songs. Still…it might not have been such a bad idea…

He glanced over out of the corner of his eye. His breath hitched and he stared open mouthed. She was smiling up at the stars and their light was reflecting in their dark brown irises. She was beautiful.

 _I've been alone with you inside my mind_

 _And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times_

 _I sometimes see you pass outside my door…_

Suddenly, as though sensing his gaze on her, Mona turned and caught Raph staring. They both blushed. Ever so slowly, Raphael reached out and lay his hand over hers gently.

 _Hello! Is it me you're looking for?_

Their eyes locked and the song went on, becoming part of the background. Mona Lisa scooted closer to the emerald green turtle. They didn't take their eyes off of each other for a second. Raph reached out, his hand shaking slightly as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Finally Mona broke the eye contact and rested her head on Raph's shoulders, pressing a lithe hand against his chest. They remained that way until the song began to come to a close.

 _Tell me how to win your heart_

 _For I haven't got a clue_

 _But let me start by saying I love you_

The song ended and Raph reached over to turn it off. A light green hand caught him before he could do so. Raph's attention was once again solely on Mona Lisa. The lizard brought her other hand up to cup the side of Raph's face. The turtle's cheeks colored, but he leaned in towards her, and she did the same. Their lips were only inches away from each other.

Raphael didn't even realize he was closing the distance between them until he felt a warm puff of air caress the side of his face. They both stopped less than one inch away, staring deep into each other's eyes. Raph couldn't bring himself to go any further.

Yep, you heard that right. Raphael, the hotheaded turtle of destruction, who threw himself into battles head first, was afraid. No, no, to be accurate, he was terrified. He just couldn't…

The next thing he knew, warm lips slid against his in a soft, chaste version of a human kiss.

Raph pulled back rapidly and stared wide-eyed at Mona Lisa. For a moment they both stared at each other, uncertain. It wasn't until Mona's shoulders drooped a little in sadness that Raphael shot forward and pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

Mona leaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Raph's neck.

When they pulled away a few moments later, both of their faces were red.

Mona Lisa smiled and Raph grinned back. He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. Both teenage mutants smiled and leaned back to gaze at the stars.

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it? What was your favorite part? Did it flow okay?**


	13. A Normal Day

**No, I have not given up on this story, since everyone keeps asking me that. It's just that I'm back in school now and it might take a little longer for me to post updates.**

* * *

 **Ch. 13-A Normal Day**

It was a quiet morning in the turtle lair. Michelangelo was, as usual, in the kitchen rushing to and fro like a mad-turtle as he attempted to manage three different things at once. Despite his current tasks, the youngest turtle was counting down the seconds in his head… _three…two…one…_

Right on cue, Donatello stomped into the kitchen and headed straight for the coffeemaker. The brainiac rubbed his aching temples with two fingers and sighed.

Mikey frowned. That sigh never boded well. "Migraine?" He hazarded a guess, currently unable to turn away from the pancakes he was trying to keep from burning.

Donatello glanced briefly at the back of Mikey's shell and grumbled, "Gee, ya think?!"

Mikey flipped the pancake and after catching it and placing the pan back on the stove he held his hands up in surrender and said innocently, "Hey, don't blame me just because you decided to stay up all night working!"

The purple-masked turtle's normally soft, brown eyes narrowed dangerously at Michelangelo as the young, orange-masked turtle once again turned his shell to him. "If it weren't for _you_ and _your_ plans last night, _I_ wouldn't have spent half the night doing surveillance sweeps on empty alleyways!" Don exclaimed, frustratedly.

Mikey sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Don! It's not like it was all for nothing. We were doing it for Raph, remember? Besides, you're the one who decided you wanted to work in your lab for the rest of the night after we got back." The youngest pointed out.

Donnie was just about ready to explode. And so was his head. "Yeah, because you and Leo dragged me away to play chaperone! I didn't get to finish!"

The pancake was done and Michelangelo was quick to get it on the plate before it started burning. Once that task had been completed, Mikey turned back to his immediate older brother. "Donnie." He began sternly. "Raph and Mona have been dancing around this thing for weeks! It was about time they finally got it all sorted, and let's face it bro, neither of them were going to do it on their own. Don't you think it was worth it to see Raph so happy?" When faced with that bright, earnest, and heartwarming baby-blue-eyed expression, Donatello was unable to stop himself from looking down in shame.

"Y-You're right Mikey. I was being pretty selfish. I shouldn't have snapped at you, either."

Mikey waved off Don's attempt at an apology with a soft smile. "Don't sweat it bro. You're tired, hungry, and you've got a killer migraine, I wasn't really expecting you to be cordial."

"Good to know." Donnie murmured softly in reply, lifting the steaming cup of black coffee up to his lips. He took a slow sip and sighed as he savored the taste and scent of the beverage. Mikey turned back to the stove and immediately began preparing more pancakes. The brainy turtle watched in silence, simultaneously draining the coffee from the cup. Once that coffee had vanished, Donnie stood and proceeded to pour himself yet another cup. As the seconds and then minutes ticked by, the cogs of Donatello's highly refined brain wheels began turning and he stared contemplatively at his younger brother's back. "Hey, Mikey."

"Hmmm?" The youngest answered as he flipped two pancakes directly onto a plate, one on top of the other. Sometimes it helped to be ninjas.

Hesitant, and not particularly sure he wanted to know the answer Donnie asked, "How long had you been planning…you know…?"

"Raph's date?" Mikey asked, just to make sure he and Don were talking about the same thing.

"Yeah."

The orange masked turtle shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know exactly…a week, maybe? Leo helped too. He could probably give you a more specific date."

The brainiac's eyes practically bugged out of his head. _Leo?! As in their older brother Leonardo?!_ Donatello knew Leonardo. Or at least, he had thought that he did. Planning a date simply did not seem like something Leo would do. It just wasn't…Leo.

Mikey chuckled at Donnie's shocked expression. "Yeah I know. He surprised me, too. Actually, Leo was the one who came up to me and said that we needed to do something before things went too far. He said he was afraid that if they skirted around each other for too long, one of them was going to get hurt. So we started concocting solutions!" Michelangelo crossed the kitchen to Don's side and put an arm around the purple-masked turtle's thin shoulders, pulling him close to whisper in his ear, "Leo made me swear not to tell anyone, so keep this under your mask, but the music was his idea." The youngest turtle said, letting out a dark cackle and a smirk at the smart turtle's dumfounded face.

"L-l-Leo?"

Michelangelo just laughed. "Yeah, who knew he was such a romantic at heart!"

"I don't believe it." Don echoed airily, still quiet stunned.

"Don't believe what?"

Both of the two younger turtle siblings tensed and their eyes slowly moved to the form of the turtle that had just entered the room. The very turtle in question: Leonardo. There was innocent curiosity in those deep blue eyes of his as he glanced slowly from Mikey to Don. Then his eyes narrowed as he caught the look in his brothers' eyes. He crossed his arms over his plastron and tapped his foot. "Alright, what were you saying about me this time?"

"Nothing." They both answered simultaneously.

The grin that spread across Leo's face made them both shift uncomfortably. "Of course, I could always just extract it from you during sparring later, if that's the way you want it."

The two younger turtles shuddered. When Leo put his mind to it he could be really good at making threats.

Unsurprisingly, it was Mikey who spoke up. "Donnie and I were just talking about the romantic touches you added to my plans for Raph's date."

The threatening grin completely vanished and Leonardo's face slowly began turning a very bright shade of red. "Mikey! I told you not to—"

"Hey guys, what's up?" A voice heavy with sleep asked, dazedly.

Leo cut himself off midsentence and all eyes flew to the tired, but contented-looking figure of Raphael standing in the kitchen door. The muscular, emerald green turtle stretched a little before slowly glancing at each of his brothers in turn. Leonardo's bright red face made him raise an eye-ridge. "Leo, you okay there, bro? Your face is red."

Leo waved away Raphael's concern with a hand. "Don't worry about it Raph. I'm fine."

With a rather indifferent nod, Raph turned to Michelangelo. He crossed his arms over his chest and a hot, green glare focused on the youngest.

Mikey shifted nervously for a few moments before muttering, "Um…Raph? Buddy? What's up?"

Raph's soft growl rumbled in his chest as he got right in his little brother's face. "Oh, I'll tell you what's up, Mikey, and don't pretend like you don't know nothing about it either. I know you set up that date for me and Mona last night."

Donatello thought about correcting the red-masked turtle's grammar, but after a short deliberation decided it would be better not to get involved. Meanwhile, the orange masked turtle gulped in fear as his hotheaded brother went on.

"Mona told me she asked you for help, but I think we both know that's not quite true."

"Aw, come on Raph! I was just trying to help you guys along! It wasn't like I was setting you up blindly or anything! I mean, you both liked each other, and you were both afraid to admit it—so…"

Raph held up a hand. "That's not the issue."

At this, all three of Raph's brothers seemed confused. Leonardo, whose face was no longer red, was the first to ask, "Then what is?"

Bright green eyes turned to his fearless leader with a hard stare. "It wasn't safe. Mona Lisa is in no condition to go topside. She's still recovering from the trauma of her experience! She's still vulnerable! And what's more, she doesn't really know how to defend herself! What if something had happened? What if we'd been attacked by the Foot or something?!"

Leo put a hand on his brother's shoulder. The eldest turtle could clearly see that through that thick wall of anger, lay a deep pool of concern. Raph wasn't angry at them for what they'd done. Rather, he was angry at them for putting Mona in danger. But they hadn't. And that was truth. Leo looked straight into Raph's eyes as he said reassuringly, "We took the proper precautions Raph."

Raph's eyes widened. "Leo—you?"

The eldest turtle nodded. "Yes, I helped Mikey plan the whole thing out. We knew that being topside would be risky for the two of you, so we chose a secluded location that was easy to observe, and even easier to patrol around. While you and Mona were on your 'date,' Mikey, Donnie and I were making sure that no one got too close."

Raph was speechless. He couldn't believe that his brothers had put so much thought into this. Then something else occurred to him. "So…wait a second…you were _watching_ us?"

Leo chuckled and patted Raph's shoulder as the hothead looked a little bit flustered. "Let's just say we were keeping a friendly eye on you."

The red masked turtle shuddered. "Do you guys have any idea how creepy that is?"

The eldest turtle shrugged, "So we're a little overprotective."

"More like obsessive." Raph grumbled.

Leonardo frowned and retorted. "Would you rather we just left you there with no other line of defense if attacked?"

The hotheaded turtle growled. "I could have protected her just fine."

A long sigh escaped Leo's lips. Leave it to Raph to take it as an offense. "I never said you couldn't. I'm just saying that we were looking out for you."

With a huff and a grumble from Raphael, the conversation came to a rather abrupt end. And of course, Mikey was the first to break the silence.

"So…who wants pancakes?"

About ten minutes later, Master Splinter shuffled slowly into the kitchen to find his sons laughing and joking amiably. Even Raphael. A fleeting smile crossed the old rat's lips. It pleased him to see his sons so contented. But there was something missing…or more precisely…someone. "Raphael, where is Mona Lisa?" Splinter asked slowly.

Raph's laughter died down and he shrugged at his father's question. "I don't know. I think she's still asleep."

As if she had been summoned by their conversation, Mona Lisa stepped softly into the room, waving good morning to the turtles. She moved smoothly around the table and took a seat between Donatello and Raphael. As she sat down her eyes caught Raph's and she smiled, leaning forward and giving him a little peck on the cheek.

Master Splinter raised an amused eyebrow as his hotheaded son's face began to redden.

Raph's brothers smirked triumphantly. Not just because they got to see an embarrassed Raphael, which was a rare phenomenon, but also because it seemed that the date had finally solidified things between their brother and the lizard mutant.

The rest of the morning was relatively normal. The turtles trained, Mona wandered about the lair, trying to find things to do. A few hours later Raph found her sprawled out on the couch watching Crognard the Barbarian. He settled down beside her wordlessly, and less than a minute later she was leaning up against him. He grinned a little and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Just another normal day. But as long as 'normal' meant he got to spend time with Mona, Raphael couldn't bring himself to care.

* * *

 **Bonus Chapter-add-on: It Begins with the Little Things**

The fact that Mona Lisa's first noise was a whimper had deeply perturbed Raphael. Most of all he was angry. He was angry because those monsters had hurt her so badly in that laboratory that even now, when she was finally overcoming it, Mona was haunted by the past. Her first sound should have been something joyous, like a child's first word, but instead it was soft and painful and…dare he say…heartbreaking.

Raphael hated it when Mona Lisa was hurting or afraid. He didn't like to see her like that. Urgh! He'd find those scientists that did this to her and make sure they never did anything like this to anything ever again! Raph's brothers were more than eager to go along with him on that one. Let's just say they'd all formed a rather soft spot in their heart for Mona Lisa.

Raph could tell that Leonardo, in particular, had proclaimed himself Mona's older brother, perhaps not verbally, but all the indications were there. It seemed to Raphael that Leo had become somewhat of a second guardian to Mona Lisa. Leo would watch out for her, his dark blue eyes shifting every so often in Mona's direction. It was the same way Leo watched the three of them. Just that quiet contemplation, that visual reassurance that they were alright.

The similarities between Mikey and Mona's personalities had immediately pulled those two into a very close friendship. Of course, Mikey did annoy her sometimes, but Mikey annoyed everybody sometimes, so that was a given.

As for Donatello…it had taken Mona a little bit longer to trust the brainy turtle for the simpler fact that he was almost always in his lab. But Don's normally gentle nature had made it easy for the lizard mutant to get used to be around him, and she had finally accepted that the things in his lab wouldn't hurt her. Occasionally, when Don had been working most of the day, or for a couple of hours straight, the lizard mutant would bring him a cold soda from the fridge.

She also seemed to express a certain amount of interest in Donnie's projects, but she never wanted to get close since there were usually sparking wires or sharp objects nearby.

Mona Lisa had, at some point during her short stay, become part of the turtle family. That went without saying. And whoever hurts a member of the Hamato clan would pay the consequences. That was for certain.

Raphael was snapped out of his thoughts as a high-pitched scream echoed through the lair. The hotheaded turtle shot to his feet just as a wailing Mikey charged into the room, with an enraged lizard mutant hot on his heels.

Leo immediately appeared from the dojo and assessed the situation before catching Mikey by the shell and bringing them both to a stop. "Alright, what is going on here?" He asked calmly.

Though the answer to that was pretty obvious in Raph's mind. Mona's hair appeared to have been braided and dipped in some kind of paint. And she was livid. Raphael suddenly found himself fighting the urge to laugh at the look of pure and absolute rage on her face.

"It was just a prank! It was supposed to be funny!"

Raphael stifled his laughter to the best of his ability as he pointed out, "Mikey, you ought to know that when it comes to fiddling with Mona Lisa's hair, _nothing_ is funny."

Mikey whined, sounding very much like an eight-year old child, "Well, _you_ fiddle with it!"

"I ruffle it. I don't dip it in bright red paint!" Raphael pointed out.

Leonardo sighed. "Mona, I'll see to it that he gets punished. I'll make him join me and Master Splinter in daily meditation for the rest of the week."

The youngest turtle wailed. "NOOOOOOO!"

Mona Lisa's thin fingers felt the bottom of her braid and she grimaced in disgust at the feel of the hard, drying paint, and at the sticky residue that coated her hand. She turned to the youngest turtle and her eyes narrowed as a light growl echoed through the room.

Leo, Mikey, and Raph all stared wide-eyed. And so did Mona, once she realized what she'd done. After a short moment of awe, she was once again reminded of the current state of her hair and she whined in distress. Mikey and Leo were absolutely astounded, of course, Raph had told them she could make noises, but this was their first time actually hearing her.

Raphael was quick to react. He gripped Mona's arm softly and murmured, "Don't worry, we'll get it out. C'mon, let's go see Donnie."

The lizard mutant allowed Raphael to lead her to the lab. Donatello took one look and surmised: "Mikey?"

"Yep." Raph answered curtly. "Got anything she can use to get it out?"

Donnie got some of the pain between his fingers and rubbed them together. "Well, paint removers have a lot of dangerous chemicals in them, but you won't need to worry about that since this paint appears to be washable." Raph nodded, glad that the solution was so simple. But then… "But," Don began, making Raphael turn back around, "You'll have to help her get it out. If she doesn't want it to leave any residue she'll need to get it washed thoroughly. It isn't going to be easy."

"Wait…what? How am I supposed to help her out? Like wash the paint out in a bucket of water or something?"

Don raised a dubious eye-ridge. "You could do it that way, I suppose, but it would be much more effective if you assisted her in the shower."

Raph's eyes went wide. "What?! Donnie! She's a girl!"

"I certainly hope you are not just realizing that now Raph." Don quipped at his immediate older brother's expense.

"Well…getting in the shower with her, isn't that like weird or something?"

Mona Lisa just glanced from one turtle to the other, not really understanding the problem.

Don sighed. "Raph, she needs help and, in case you haven't noticed, we don't have any females around here that can take care of it. Are you going to help her? Or do you want to have Leo or me do it?"

Raph looked stared with shocked eyes at his smart sibling. Then he realized that, as awkward as this was going to be, he'd much rather do it himself than have to remain calm with the knowledge that Leo or Don were doing it. "I'll take care of her."

Mona smiled and immediately began dragging Raph out of the lab and down the hall.

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it? Cute?**

 **Don't worry, we'll get to see Raph helping Mona with her hair next chapter.**


	14. Helping You

**Ch. 14-Helping You**

As Mona Lisa and Raphael headed for the shower, the hothead's mind repeated the instructions Donatello had shouted at him as Mona had dragged him out of the lab:

 _"For water-based paints, simply wet the hair and apply a liberal amount of shampoo to the hair. If the paint in question has dried, then you may need to allow the shampoo to sit on the painted strands and allow it to soften. Once the paint has softened, use a fine toothcomb to gently remove the paint from the hair. When the paint is out, you can rinse the hair as normal, and use a good conditioner to smooth the strands."_

As soon as they were in the bathroom, Mona Lisa immediately began to pulling insistently at Raph's arm. She really just wanted the horribly disgusting stuff out of her hair.

The lizard mutant didn't like it when people messed with her hair. She didn't really like people touching it either, so she was a little hesitant about this whole thing. But if Donnie said she would need help, then she would need help. And as long as Raph was willing to give it, she'd rather have him help her than any of the others.

The only problem at the moment was that Raph had ground to a halt, and no matter how hard she pulled he refused to budge. One thing she had learned quickly about the hotheaded turtle was that pulling him around was no picnic. He was heavy and stubborn and if he didn't want to do something it was very hard to get him to do it anyway, still…she always found a way. With a smirk Mona lifted her hand to Raph face and stroked his cheek softly to get his attention. At the turtle's bright blush and startled stammer she pointed towards the shower and began to drag him in that direction.

"Wait! Wait! I…"

Mona glanced curiously over at the turtle and Raph's blush only intensified.

"I—kinda have ta take off my wrappings and pads first…" he admitted softly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand as his face grew hot with embarrassment.

Mona Lisa raised an eyebrow, not really understanding.

Raphael just began to unwrap his hands and feet. The red masked turtle had to fight back a blush as Mona Lisa watched his every move. Desperately attempting to find something else to focus on, Raphael turned his attention to the task of removing his elbow and kneepads.

Mona watched in fascination as Raph pulled the leather pads off slowly. She was amazed. She'd never seen any of the turtles without them. In fact, up until this very point in time, it had never occurred to her that they could be removed.

Raphael finished removing his elbow and kneepads and cast them off to the side. When he turned back to Mona Lisa he tensed as he realized that she was now less than a foot away from him. Ever so slowly, she reached out and rested her hand gently on his elbow.

Neon green eyes were wide as Raphael stared a her. He couldn't bring himself to move a muscle. With another sweet smile Mona leaned upward and kissed his cheek. Then she turned around and gestured to her hair.

Raph quickly pulled out of his stupor with renewed focus. Slowly, before they got in the shower, Raph approached Mona from behind and carefully undid her braid. He paid no attention to the flecks of red that stained or chipped off on his fingers.

Mona Lisa hissed a little as he attempted to pull the hairband out. Immediately Raph brought his hand back. His eyes softened. _I really don't want to hurt her._ He thought sadly. Raph turned her around and stared down into her eyes. "Listen Mona, let's get started and maybe I can soften it up some in the shower and pull the hairband out, okay? I don't want it to hurt you."

The lizard mutant nodded and smiled softly. She placed her hand in Raph's, never moving her eyes from his. Raph grinned and gripped her hand softly. The hothead allowed her to lead him to the shower.

"Oh wait!" he exclaimed. Mona Lisa turned to the turtle with an exasperated roll of the eyes. All she wanted was to get this over with.

'What?' She asked.

Raphael blushed a little. "Um…I forgot to take off my mask." He reached up to untie it, but Mona pushed his hands down and leaned closer to him. Her lips were mere inches away from his won as she reached behind his head to untie the mask herself. Big, brown eyes stared directly into his as she slowly loosened the red knot.

At long last the red mask finally fell away and Mona Lisa gasped. She ran a hand along his cheek softly. She'd thought his eyes were beautiful before…

They were gorgeous now.

Raphael put his hands down and allowed Mona to untie his mask herself. When she gasped Raph stared down at her worriedly. "You okay?"

Mona pulled just enough so that she could gesture 'You're eyes are so beautiful.'

Raph's cheeks rapidly grew red and he tried to lower his gaze but Mona tilted his head up to prevent him from doing so.

Unable to resist temptation, Mona Lisa leaned forward and pressed her lips softly against Raphael's for a brief, chaste kiss.

Raph's cheeks only got redder. Suddenly feeling very warm, Raphael grabbed Mona's hand dragged her to the shower, eager to get this over and done with.

Once they were both inside, Raph turned on the water, which he soon learned was a great mistake. The water was freezing cold. The hothead cursed as he was suddenly bombarded by the torrent. Every drop sent a pin-prick like pain through Raph's body. Mona Lisa whimpered and clung to Raphael tightly as they were temporarily too cold to react. The green-eyed turtle wrapped his arms around her tightly as the water gradually warmed to a more tolerable temperature.

Mona's quivers slowly began to subside and she snuggled against the turtle with a grateful smile on her face. Once the water was warm enough Mona Lisa pulled away and pointed to her hair.

Raphael chuckled. Of course Mona wasn't about to forget their reason for being here.

Raph picked up the shampoo from where it stood on the shower floor. Thank goodness April had thought to get it for Mona. Obviously, shampoo wasn't really something that the turtles normally had on hand.

Carefully applying the shampoo to the tussled and painted braid, Raphael gently began to spread it around. Once the dried paint had softened the hothead delicately attempted to remove the hairband from the tangled and now wet mess of hair. After a couple of tries, he finally succeed and he threw the hairband off to the side, focusing instead on rubbing all the red paint out of her hair.

Mona sighed and leaned into his hands. But Raph was trying desperately not to think about that, because if he did, he'd also notice the way the water caressed the side of her face and the attractive way her lips were slightly parted, and the way her eyes were closed in a very relaxed fashion… _Oh screw it!_ Raphael couldn't help but think about how beautiful she looked at this moment.

His cheeks burning, Raphael bent down and pressed a soft peck to her cheek. Mona turned her head up just enough to beam at him. 'Thank you.' She gestured.

Raph's blush intensified and he went back to work on her hair. Once all the paint had washed down the drain Mona turned around and kissed Raph full on the lips appreciatively. Neon green eyes went wide as saucers before he leaned into the kiss. The hot water had steamed up the air around them quite a bit and when they pulled away they were both breathing heavily.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Mona Lisa spotted a scrub brush hanging from a hook in the shower. She raised an eyebrow and pointed to it questioningly.

"Um…it's for scrubbing out shells. They get kinda dirty, so sometimes we help each other scrub them."

Mona bounded giddily over and grabbed the brush then waved it at Raph's shell. Raph blushed beet red. "No, I—er—you don't need to…I mean that would just be—"

The lizard mutant rolled her eyes and forcibly turned the turtle around. She softly began to scrub his shell and Raphael just stood there stunned.

 _This can't really be happening…_ He thought to himself. But as he looked over his shoulder, he couldn't help but admit that she was incredibly beautiful.

Mona raked the scrub brush rather hard over a very sensitive spot and Raph gasped.

"Hey, watch it! It's sensitive!" Raph grumbled and Mona actually stopped to stick her tongue out at him… And kiss the side of his face.

Raph's cheeks, already flushed from the heat of the shower flushed further. When Mona Lisa finished cleaning his shell, she returned the brush to its place on the wall of the shower.

The turtles' bright green eyes, which at some point had closed due to the soothing feeling of his carapace being scrubbed, now snapped back open and followed Mona Lisa as she deftly put the brush back where it belonged.

Raphael smirked as he realized that Mona's tail hadn't stopped twitching. Every once in a while it flicked a bit of water off the tip. It was cute. And it was obvious that she didn't even realize she was doing it.

Raph reached over and turned the water off abruptly. Mona jumped a little at the sudden change, but quickly nodded and the two of them made their way out of the shower. Raph quickly wrapped a towel around her shoulders before proceeding to get his own and dry off to the best of his ability.

His eyes flicked over to Mona Lisa as she dried herself off. He couldn't help but admire the way her hair stuck to her face when it was wet. It was very attractive.

The lizard mutant suddenly had the feeling that she was being watched. Her eyes slowly moved upward, from where she was currently drying her legs. As she met that handsome green gaze of his, she could feel her face growing hot.

They both tore their gazes away as their blushes intensified.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, with the other turtles…**

Donnie looked up as Leonardo poked his head into the lab, holding tightly to a squirming Michelangelo.

Thankfully, the eldest explained before Donnie could ask. "Don, we're looking for Mona Lisa. Michelangelo has some apologizing to do."

"Sorry Leo, she's with Raph."

"Okay, where's Raph?" Leo asked.

Don shrugged as he looked into his microscope. "They're probably still in the shower."

Mikey held up a finger. "Hold on, **they're** in the shower? **They** as in both of them? **Together**?!"

Leo's eyes were wide, "What?! But she's a girl!"

The brainiac raised a curious eye-ridge at his eldest sibling. "Huh. That's exactly what Raph said." Donnie rolled his eyes, sighed, and began to explain. "She needed help to wash that paint out of her hair. Thus—"

Leonardo held up a hand. "We get it."

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it?**


	15. Lessons Learned

**Sorry I'm only posting this here now you guys, but for the last couple days I couldn't log into my fan fiction account. It just said '503 error' so that's why this chapter is so late. Sorry! Anyway please enjoy this chapter! It's a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)**

* * *

 **Ch. 15-Lessons Learned**

Leo had been struggling for the past few minutes or so to keep Michelangelo in sight since they left Donnie's lab. The youngest turtle was fast and agile, and was also currently trying to escape from his eldest brother. Every time Leo turned his back, Mikey attempted to sneak off. You see, they were heading for the dojo, where Leonardo would proceed to tell Master Splinter all about Mikey's prank.

After the eldest had caught rescued Mikey from Mona's wrath earlier, he'd taken quite a bit of time lecturing the youngest turtle about how pranks were a shameful misuse of resources and blah-dee-blah-blah-blah. And the punishment Leonardo had dished out was already enough. The last thing Mikey wanted was for Master Splinter to punish him as well.

The blue-masked turtle literally had to drag Mikey the last few feet into the dojo and toss his orange-masked sibling inside. "Sensei!" He called.

Within moments Master Splinter appeared at the door to his room. "Leonardo. Michelangelo." He greeted and they both bowed. After a short moment of silence the old rat asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Uh….nope, nope! Nothings wrong! It's all cool! Bye Sensei!" Mikey said hurriedly before making a run for it.

Leo tensed and was about to jump after the goofball, when Master Splinter beat him to it and grabbed the orange masked sibling by the carapace. "Michelangelo." He said sternly, chidingly. "What have you done?"

Mikey sighed in defeat. "I kinda…" His voice died down to a mere whisper. "…dipped Mona's hair in paint."

Master Splinter raised an eyebrow. "What was that? It sounded like you said you dipped Mona Lisa's hair in paint."

"He did, Sensei." Leo confirmed.

Their rat father's eyes narrowed and Mikey shuddered. "It was just a joke Sensei."

"Where is she? Did he upset her?" Splinter asked, turning to Leonardo probingly.

"He disturbed her Sensei, but she was just really angry. We're lucky Mikey's little joke didn't spike any painful memories." Leo answered.

The rat mutant nodded solemnly. "Yes, my son. That is very fortunate." Then he turned back to Michelangelo. "Michelangelo, you must remember that no matter how strong hearted Mona Lisa may seem, she is deeply scarred by the past. You cannot always treat her the way you treat your brothers. We are fortunate that this prank of yours did not truly harm her, otherwise it could have jeopardized the trust that she has placed in your brothers and yourself. Do you understand that, Michelangelo?"

Mikey was too ashamed to meet his father's gaze. "Hai Sensei."

"Good. Starting tomorrow you will have an extra hour of training for the next month."

"What?! But Sensei—!"

"Would you prefer I make it two?"

Mikey shut his mouth faster than Leonardo had ever seen before. He couldn't help but grin a little at the expression on Mikey's face. The eldest chuckled and patted the youngest turtle's shoulder. "At least it's not as bad as the punishment I set up for you."

Mikey huffed in agreement and Sensei sent his eldest son a curious stare. "And what would that be, Leonardo?"

The eldest smirked and Michelangelo glared. "Don't even say it Leo." Mikey growled.

But Leo's smirk only grew wider. "Joining us for our two hour meditation for the next few weeks."

Master Splinter smiled. "Indeed. That would be a more fitting punishment. So be it." The old rat began to head back to his room, leaving a gaping Michelangelo in his wake. But he stopped just as he reached the door to his chamber and turned back to his sons. "Where is Raphael? I would like to know if Mona Lisa is alright."

Mikey was still being melodramatic about his punishment and was now literally laying on the floor and groaning like a dying man in the desert. Leonardo ignored his little brother and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he considered how awkward it would be to explain to his father that Raphael was…

"Um…" Leo coughed a little. "He's uh…he's…"

Master Splinter raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"He's in the shower."

The old rat's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Shouldn't he be with Mona Lisa?"

Leo cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, refusing to meet his father's eyes. "Well…he is. They're…uhm…they're, um, both in the shower."

Splinter's expression was eerily emotionless and Leo hurried on.

"She—Don said that she needed help washing the paint out."

"Hm. I see." Splinter replied stiffly, his face still impassive.

Another groan came from down where Michelangelo lay on the floor accompanied by an "I'm too young to die!"

Master Splinter rolled his eyes and turned his back to his sons. "You may go."

Michelangelo didn't need to be told twice. He sprung up off the ground and out the dojo door in three seconds flat. But Leonardo lingered. There was something in his father's voice that he didn't quite understand.

"Father?"

The old rat turned back to his eldest son with an impassive stare, but all Leo had to do was look at Splinter's posture to know the truth. The blue-masked turtle's brow crinkled in confusion. "You don't approve."

"What are you talking about Leonardo?"

Leo shook off his father's attempt to evade the issue. "You don't approve of Raphael's relationship with Mona."

Splinter sighed and refused to meet Leonardo's gaze. "My son, it is not that I do not approve. It is that I have fears." At Leonardo's somewhat mystified expression, the rat elaborated, "Love can be a very dangerous thing."

Dark blue eyes glinted in the dim light of the dojo as Leo placed a soft forest-green hand on his father's shoulder. "She won't hurt him, father."

"I know that, Leonardo. That is not my concern. The four of you are still so young. And you are still training. You cannot afford any distractions."

Leo couldn't help the anger that filled his heart at his father's words. "Distractions?! Is our training all that matters to you, Father? Is it more important than our happiness? Than Raph's happiness?"

Master Splinter paled visibly at Leonardo's words, but then his posture crumpled and placed an affectionate hand on the blue masked turtle's head. "Of course not, my child. Of course not. It is as I told Raphael, the only reason I disapprove is because I cannot help but feel that I am losing a son."

A soft frown settled on Leo's features as he regarded his father thoughtfully. Until finally, after a minute of silence, he whispered, "You aren't losing a son, father." Master Splinter looked deep into his son's striking blue eyes. "You're gaining a daughter."

The old rat's lips turned upward into a smile. "Yes. You are right, Leonardo. Of course you are right."

Leo stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around his father in a gentle hug, which the old rat was quick to reciprocate. Goodness knows his sons did not often resort to hugs.

* * *

Leo emerged into the main room a few minutes later to find Michelangelo seated on the couch now fully absorbed in a video game. He sent his youngest brother a questioning glance. "Raph and Mona come out yet?"

"Nope." Mikey answered curtly.

With a rather un-convincing nod Leo went over and poked his head in the lab. "Hey Donnie. Raph and Mona aren't out yet. Is that…strange?"

Don shrugged. "I don't know, Leo. It all depends on how long it takes to wash all that paint out."

"Okay. Cool. Just asking."

The smart turtle rolled his eyes and never took his eyes off the computer screen in front of him. "Relax Leo. They haven't fallen down the drain or anything. And even if they somehow did manage it, those two are big enough to take care of themselves. They don't need a chaperone."

An offended scoff escaped the eldest and he put his hands on his hips. "That is not why I was asking Don! Mikey still hasn't apologized to Mona yet and I just wanted to know how long I'd have to keep an eye on him, that's all!"

"Sure, Leo, sure." Don said sarcastically.

"Urgh!" Leo stepped back and slammed the door to the lab, but unfortunately he slammed it too hard and it bounced open again. Donnie's raucous laughter rang brightly through the room.

"What's going on, Leo? The door puttin' up a fight?" A voice deep with laughter and thick with sarcasm asked.

The eldest turtle whirled around to come face to face with his immediate younger brother. Never too far behind, a quick glance proved that their silent guest was trotting her way over to Michelangelo, a girl on a mission. All attention temporarily commandeered by the lizard mutant, Leonardo let Raph's comment slide without an answer.

Mona stomped over to Mikey angrily, steam practically coming out of her ears as she stood directly between him and the television. At first Mikey tried to look around, but then he realized exactly who was standing in front of him. He shot to his feet and shifted nervously. "Oh…uh…hey Mona!" he greeted innocently, but she was having none of it. Mona's right hand shot out and smacked him good and hard right across the face. Mikey pulled a hand up to his stinging cheek slowly.

While everybody else's eyes were focused on Mona Lisa, Donatello emerged from his lab. He glanced at the lizard mutant, quickly determining her intentions, then turned his gaze to his immediate older brother.

Raph's skin was slightly mottled, meaning it must have been a very hot shower. His mask was tied loosely and haphazardly and he seemed to be in the middle of re-wrapping his hands. His neon green eyes were glowing dimly, his grin was relaxed and open. But his cheeks were flushed. As though he'd been blushing a lot.

Donatello's intelligent brown gaze finally settled on Raph's shell, which looked like it had been freshly scrubbed, and he grinned. Raphael didn't like having his shell scrubbed, or at least, he pretended he didn't. Well, he liked having it scrubbed, he was just too proud to ask for help, so he always acted like he didn't want it. But whenever they offered Raph would always accept. Begrudgingly, of course, but all three of them knew that Raph really did appreciate it on the inside. _Mona must have convinced him to let her do it._

Raphael suddenly caught Don's gaze and his eyes narrowed. "What are you looking at, Brainiac?"

Donatello smirked. "Nothing, just wondering how long it took her to convince you."

Raph's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Convince me to do what?"

The genius's dark brown eyes sparkled mischievously. "To let her scrub your shell."

Within seconds a similar smirk was dancing across Leonardo's features as he realized exactly what Donnie was getting at.

When he spoke, the hothead's tone was defensive. "So she scrubbed my shell, so what?"

Leo approached and draped an arm over Raphael's shoulders, prompting a warning growl from his red-masked sibling. "So…you actually let her." Leo explained smirking at Raphael's flushed expression.

Neon green eyes quickly narrowed at his eldest brother's expression. "Back off Leo. It doesn't concern you. By the way, what's being done about Mikey?" The hothead asked, rapidly changing the subject.

Leonardo noticed, of course, but decided to let Raph slide… _this time_. There would be plenty of opportunities to poke fun at Raph's secret soft side later. "He's being thoroughly punished."

Mikey groaned. "More like murdered at age seventeen!"

The blue masked turtle sighed and rolled his eyes. Raphael raised an eye-ridge and Leonardo explained, "He has to join Sensei and me for meditations for the next few weeks."

Raph smirked. "Serves him right."

Mona stomped her foot and nodded her head in agreement. Raph's smirk quickly melted into a smile and for a few moments the two of them stared at each other, completely oblivious to the other three turtles in the room.

"Ah, young love. So romantic." Mikey murmured, making Raph and Mona jump a little at the rude awakening.

"Mikey!" Leo and Don chided simultaneously.

The youngest turtle just sighed and turned back to his game, blasting the volume as high as it could go.

Raphael put a hand on Don's shoulder and pointed towards the lab. Donatello shuddered a little. He knew that look. He'd seen it one or two times before on Raph's face. Even more often on Michelangelo's. That look spelled trouble with a capital T.

Leo caught the look as well, and while it didn't disturb him as much as it did Don, he couldn't help but shift nervously.

Mona Lisa noticed the change in the three older turtle's posture, and Raphael's face made her cant her head curiously, but she slowly followed the three of them into the lab.

* * *

Once they were all inside, with the door tightly closed, Raph turned to face his brothers with an incredibly unnerving smirk. "Hey Donnie, you got any sleeping pills?"

Don's mouth became a thin line. "Of course. Why? Are you having trouble sleeping?"

Raph went right on talking, not bothering to respond to Donatello's question. "How many would one of us have to take to be in a really deep sleep?"

"How deep?" The brainiac replied automatically.

A vicious smile spread across Raph's face. "Deep enough to be moved around without knowing it."

"Four or five." Don answered. "Why?"

By this point both Leo and Mona were leaning forward with anticipation. Raph glanced at them both and grinned. "I was thinking it was time for a little bit of payback. And I think you'll all agree with me when I say that Mikey deserves it."

Leonardo's face was impassive, even though on the inside he was looking forward to it. He'd never actually gotten Mikey back for that fake snake in his bed two months ago… "What exactly did you have in mind?" Leo asked, knowing that it would be his job to prevent Raph from going overboard.

The hothead smiled devilishly and began to explain his plans.

* * *

The next morning Michelangelo woke to a hard pounding in his head. _Ugh…that garlic and mushroom pizza must not be agreeing with me…_ He thought as he pushed himself out of bed. _Unicorns._

 _…Wait…What?_

 _Why was I just thinking of…_ A strange feeling suddenly overcame the young turtle and he looked up slowly. HOLY SHELL!

He literally jumped as he found himself staring at a ceiling filled with unicorns. Pink, purple, and white unicorns jumping about through fluffly pink clouds. And the walls! The walls had been painted pink! Bright pink! With the occasional unicorn as well, at least that he could see. It looked like whoever had done this had removed all of his posters, repainted the room and then put them back. Mikey's eyes narrowed. _I may have three brothers, but only one of them paints this good..._

"RAPH!" The orange masked turtle yelled at the top of his lungs.

It didn't take long before said brother was standing in the doorway. "Mikey, what's all the yelling for? Geez."

"Look at the ceiling Raph." Mikey said with his arms crossed, his voice angry, but contained.

Raph did as asked and whistled. "Wow. Nice work Mikey. Didn't know you liked this kinda stuff."

"Don't gimme that Raph! I know it was you!" Mikey said, poking his brother in the chest. All things considered, he probably should have stopped to realize he was poking _Raph_. The hothead lashed out and grabbed his finger in a vice-like grip, making Mikey yelp.

"I don't know what the shell you're talking about Mikey! Now lets go, its time for breakfast." Raph said dismissively.

Michelangelo followed slowly, glaring at his older brother's carapace. He knew Raph was in on it somehow. He just knew it.

Breakfast passed quietly and Mikey was one of the first to jump up from the table and head for the door. He turned back to his brothers and father as none of them moved. "Well, what are we waiting for?!" He asked insistently, turning away and heading out of the room.

Splinter grinned at his sons' antics and rolled his eyes. _Kids_.

Leo, Donnie, Raph and Mona exchanged knowing glances. All four of them grinned form ear to ear, fighting the urge to laugh as Mikey turned his back to them yet again.

Mikey turned and glanced a them expectantly, noticing the way that they were all grinning and putting it down as their little 'victory' celebration for successfully repainting his room.

With an aggravated sigh, the youngest turtle stomped off to the dojo in a very un-Mikey-like fashion.

Don sent his brothers a sideways glance as they all stood and began to exit the kitchen. "Think we should tell him?"

Leonardo smiled and shook his head. "No, let's enjoy it while we can."

They stifled their laughter as they watched Mikey head to the dojo.

For Mikey couldn't see the hot-pink unicorn, wearing an orange mask, painted on his carapace. He had no clue that the back of his shell was currently sporting some of Raphael's finest brushwork. The bright mythical figure stood out against a background of bright blue sky and grey mountainous terrain, it's fluffy orange tail matching the mask on its face. Truly, the entirety of Michelangelo's carapace had been painted. And he didn't even realize it.

Nor did Mikey realize that there were some neatly printed block letters on the back of his head, just above his mask, that read: SLAP ME.

* * *

 **Well, what do you think? Justice been served? Review Please!**


	16. Unicorn Meat

**First of all, before we start this chapter I would like to thank TurtleGarg81 for inspiring this chapter and for letting me incorporate it into my story!:) I also would like to thank you for all of your patience! I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but had to figure out where exactly this story was going. You see, I've kind of a hit a wall. But I'll ask you guys for your advice at the end.**

 **Anyway, on with the chapter!**

* * *

 **Ch. 16-Unicorn Meat**

A few days had passed since the 'unicorn' incident. It had yielded plenty of laughs for all three turtles, and Mona Lisa as well. And of course, Mikey had been gotten a taste of his own medicine. But even then…Leo still wanted to get back at Mikey for that snake prank. And yes, Raph's prank had really gotten the youngest turtle riled up, but what Leo had in mind was a little more…vindictive. The eldest turtle wanted to show his little brother that pranking the leader had very serious consequences. And so a nifty little idea had popped into his head.

* * *

Raphael was on the couch with Mona. The red-masked turtle was currently introducing her to the world of action movies. She seemed to be taking it pretty well, though there were times where she would cower in fear and slide closer to Raph. _Not that that bothered the hothead in the least…_

"Raph." Leo called. The red-masked turtle growled at him.

"What do you want, Fearless?"

Leonardo smirked. "Your help. Your prank on Mikey wasn't bad, little brother, but I have something guaranteed to make Dr. Prankenstein stay dormant for at least another month."

Raphael paused the movie and turned to face his older sibling with an eye-ridge raised. He crossed his hands over his plastron. "I'm listening."

Mona smiled and nodded her head fervently at Leo, excitedly urging him to go on.

Leo's grin was absolutely menacing. "Ever heard of a little thing called 'Unicorn Meat'?"

Raph smiled, Leo grinned even wider, and Mona was completely lost.

"Keep talking." Raphael said, his smirk growing increasingly disturbing as he considered all the possibilities.

By now the two eldest turtles had matching expressions. Raphael had to admit that even though Leo could sure be an idiot sometimes, for those rare times that the eldest turtle dared to cross the line, Leo could be downright diabolical. And that rare, mischievous streak was the trait that Raphael enjoyed the most about him.

One thing Leonardo could say about Raphael was that the red-masked turtle was loyal to a fault. Raph had never once blabbed a single secret Leo had shared with him. And Leo valued that. He'd always been able to trust Raphael explicitly. The only problem was that the red-masked turtle only very rarely did the same with him. But still, Leo was taking Raph into his confidence with this thing, and it looked like Raph wanted in.

"What if some of this 'Unicorn Meat' **magically** ended up on Mikey's pizza?"

Mona Lisa was hopelessly lost. 'What is the meaning?'

Raphael turned to her and tried to explain. "Unicorn Meat is like spam."

Mona was still lost and so Raph struggled a little. "Spam is meat that comes in a can. It's usually ham, but it can be other meats too. Unicorn Meat is like spam, but it has edible glitter in it."

Mona Lisa practically gagged and her face turned green. Then she promptly proceeded to glare at the turtle.

Raphael laughed and held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, if you didn't want to know you shouldn't have asked!"

The lizard mutant shoved him lightly, crossed her arms over her chest and began to swat him affectionately. Raphael chuckled and Leo couldn't help but smile at the cute scene that was unfolding right in front of him. The eldest turtle smiled.

She was good for him. Of that Leo was certain. Laughter had always been a rare thing when it came to Raphael. Since Mona Lisa's arrival, however, that had changed. Around her, Raph had transformed. His soft side had been exposed. And Leo was grateful for that.

Raphael smirked at his older brother. So maybe he was working with Leo on this one, but that didn't mean he'd pass up an opportunity to poke fun at him. "So Da Vinci, got unicorns on the brain much?"

Cerulean blue eyes narrowed and Leo growled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Haven't you read anything 'bout yer famous counterpart? 'The unicorn, through its intemperance…blah, blah, blah' Sound familiar?"

"Oh, well excuse me for not striving to live up to one of the greatest artists and scientists of all time!" Leo remarked, rolling his eyes.

Raph threw up his hands. "Hey, I'm not trying to offend you Leo. I'm just saying, you need to brush up on your history."

Leo scoffed. "And I suppose you're the expert?"

The red masked turtle scoffed and shook his head. "Nah, Don's the expert." Raph admitted.

"Look Raph, do you want in? Or what?" Leonardo snapped exasperatedly. There really was no reasoning with Raphael sometimes.

The younger turtle smirked and his neon green eyes glinted mischievously. "Oh, I'm most definitely in."

Mona wore a slightly disgusted expression, and when the two older turtles turned to her she shook her head. Raphael smirked, grabbed Mona's hand, and put on a pleading expression.

Leonardo watched in amusement as Mona's resistance crumbled. He rolled his eyes and smiled gently _. Those two are perfect for each other._

Raphael chuckled lightly at the lizard mutant's expression before kissing her lightly on the bridge of her nose. It wasn't until after he'd done it, that Raphael blushed blood red as he realized Leo older brother was smirking at him.

* * *

It took a little bit of convincing, on both Leo and Raph's part, to get Donnie in on the prank. It wasn't that Don wouldn't like to get back at his little brother for all the times Michelangelo destroyed something in his lab, but…well…what Raph and Leo had in mind was pushing it. Eventually, after a long period of deliberation, Donnie agreed, on the condition that they would confess the prank soon after. Both of the older turtles agreed, and that was that.

Leo had already procured the can of Unicorn Meat a few days before, so they had everything they needed. Now all they had to do was wait until dinner. Leo smirked darkly. _This is going to be epic._

* * *

Finally, after what seemed like ages, dinnertime rolled around. They were all gathered together in the main room. Donnie and Raph went up topside to get the pizza and it took them a little longer than usual. As soon as the purple and red-masked turtles returned, Michelangelo was bouncing all over the place.

Time for Leo to put his plan into action. Leonardo popped open the can of Unicorn meat and began spooning it out onto the pizza.

Mikey took one glance at the can and froze, staring at Leo as though the eldest had suddenly grown another head. "Ummm…Leo?"

"Yes Mikey?" The eldest asked innocently.

"What are you doing?" Mikey asked slowly.

Deep blue eyes stared flatly at the youngest turtle. "I'm just putting some spam on the pizza. You like spam, don't you?"

Mikey was so shocked that it took him a few moments to come up with an understandable answer. "Uhh…Yeah…but that isn't spam, dude."

Leo looked down at the can in his hand confusedly. "What are you talking about? Of course it's spam, just look at the can!" The leader thrust the can out to his younger brother.

Mikey shook his head. "No, it says: Un-i-corn meat." The orange-masked turtle said, pointing at the words with his finger as he read.

Leonardo's eye-ridges furrowed. He glanced down at the can then back up to his little brother with a very genuinely stern expression. The leader put a soft hand on Mikey's shoulder. "Mikey, are you okay?"

By now Michelangelo was beyond flustered and extremely confused. Baby blue eyes narrowed at his eldest sibling as he snapped. "Yeah, I'm fine, Leo! There's nothing wrong with me! It says: Unicorn Meat!"

Dark cerulean eyes gleamed with concern as Leo patted him on the shoulder. "Mikey…it says Spam. S.P.A.M. Spam." The blue-masked turtle said, pointing to the label on the can the same way Mikey had earlier.

Mikey's eyes went wide and he staggered back in shock. Leo wouldn't lie to him about something like that…would he? Then the youngest noticed something else. "Well just look at the meat! It's all sparkly!" A sea-green finger pointed at the glittering meat on the pizza in front of them.

Raphael's eyes narrowed and he frowned. "What the shell are you talking 'bout, Mikey?! It's just normal spam."

"HUH?!" Mikey was growing more and more desperate, he couldn't be imagining this! He yanked the can roughly from Leo's fingers and examined it thoroughly before running over to his brainy brother. "Donnie! Just look at the ingredients!"

They read: Magic, Hopes and Dreams, Giggles, Smiles, Rainbows, Stars, Happiness, Kisses & Hugs, Sunshine, Superglue, Love, and Surprises.

But to Mikey's distress, his immediate older brother moved his finger down the side of the can as he 'read' them aloud. "Total fat: 16 grams. Saturated fat: 6 grams. Cholesterol: 40 milligrams. Sodium: 790 milligrams. Total Carbs: 1 gram. Proteins: 7 grams."

Michelangelo's eyes were as big as saucers. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly for a few moments before he plucked the can away from Donatello and turned desperately to their father.

Mona Lisa moved aside to let the youngest turtle through. She raised an eye-ridge at Mikey's brothers. While she had to admit, it amused her how gullible the orange-masked turtle could be, she still thought that it was rather cruel to torment him like this.

"Master Splinter! This isn't spam, is it? I'm not hallucinating, am I?!" The youngest asked desperately.

All three older turtles held their breath. Shell. They hadn't thought about the possibility of Mikey asking Master Splinter. From behind Mikey's back the three other turtles stared blankly at their father.

Master Splinter stood and pulled Michelangelo into a gentle hug, sending his other three sons a very stern glance. They deflated a little. And Leo, in particular, was disappointed. But then, just as they thought all was lost, Master Splinter pulled away and cupped Michelangelo's face softly. The old rat looked down at the can in the youngest turtle's hand doubtfully and then his face creased with worry. "Are you sure you are feeling well, my son?"

Mikey was at a loss. _But it isn't spam! It isn't! Why can't they see it? What's wrong with me?! Even Sensei…_ The can dropped to the floor with a soft clang.

Raphael's composure temporarily fell as he stared in shock. Sensei had actually helped them with their prank?! No way! But the hothead quickly came back to his senses as Michelangelo stumbled over and literally fell onto the couch, looking completely befuddled. Raph smiled and glanced over at his brothers. They too smiled at the youngest turtle's expression, before silently agreeing that enough was enough.

Time to come clean.

"Who's going to tell him?" Don whispered under his breath as the three of them and Mona huddled together.

"It was Leo's idea." Raph offered, looking expectantly at the eldest.

"Exactly why I'm not going to tell him." Leo stated resolutely. "One of you two should do it."

Raph shook his head. "I'm not gonna do it."

Donatello also shook his head. "No way I'm doing it. Mikey would never trust anything I say again."

The hothead growled and rolled his eyes. "Don, he isn't gonna trust you anymore anyways."

"Well excuse me for trying to preserve some sort of reputability." The genius retorted, glaring at his red-masked sibling.

Leo immediately held Raph back as the hothead began to surge forward. "This isn't getting us anywhere. We should—" The eldest turtle glanced over and stopped midsentence.

The other two turtles followed Leo's gaze curiously. He was looking at Mona Lisa. They all stared at the lizard mutant for a few moments and exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

Mona's eyes widened. 'Me?' She gestured. 'No. It was your prank!'

The three turtles just smirked and pushed the lizard mutant in the direction of the couch. She looked back at them with confusion and nervousness. Leo motioned her to go on. With a sigh Mona Lisa straightened a little. Then her eyes caught the can on the floor and she bent down to pick it up. The lizard looked down at the can in her hand, then over at the youngest turtle, who was now curled up in a ball on the couch with his carapace to the room. With soft footsteps she approached the couch and bent down. She tapped him softly on the shoulder and he slowly rolled over to glance at her.

"What do you want?" He asked a little sourly.

Raphael couldn't help the soft growl that escaped his lips.

Mona smiled sweetly at the youngest turtle and pointed to the can in her hands. 'Unicorn meat.' She gestured. Then, to further convince him, she scraped a bit of glitter off the inside of the can and showed it to him. 'Glitter'

Mikey just stared at her for a few moments before he finally asked hesitantly. "You mean…I'm not crazy?"

That was all it took. The other turtles suddenly burst into laughter.

Mona shook her head. A colossal smile spread across Mikey's face and for a few moments Mona Lisa was afraid that his face was about to crack.

In all of his relief and joy Michelangelo jumped to his feet and pulled Mona with him, holding her tightly by the shoulders. Still feeling incredibly elated, and not thinking much beyond his sheer joy at not being crazy, Mikey yanked Mona towards him and planted a loud kiss on the lizard mutant's cheek.

Mona Lisa's cheeks went bright red and she completely froze as she stared at the orange-masked turtle with wide eyes.

A dark growl snapped her out of it and she quickly realized that Michelangelo was staring at Raphael with a terrified expression on his face. Raph was livid as he charged his younger sibling with his fists raised. "I'm gonna Shellac you, Mikey!"

The red-masked turtle used his strength to easily pin Mikey to the ground, where he proceeded to punch his little brother's carapace repeatedly. Mikey screamed in his very girly way and both Donatello and Leonardo sprung into action.

They were beat to it, however, as a soft hand on the fist Raphael currently had raised made him look up. Mona Lisa was shaking.

The hothead immediately pulled away from Mikey and reached out for her, but she jumped back and out of his reach. Raph belatedly realized that his fists were still clenched. He relaxed his hands and turned back to her, his eyes soft. "Mona…" Again she stepped away from him. "What's wrong?"

Mona's face was grave and her eyes were wary as she signed: 'You were going to hurt him.'

Raph's eyes widened. "No…No I wasn't…" The hothead rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He knew that if no one had intervened, he probably would have hurt the youngest turtle because he'd lost control. "I wasn't trying to! I just…" Raphael glanced around and realized that his entire family had really stern frowns on their faces. "I didn't mean to…" He whispered softly, his shoulders drooping with genuine guilt and regret.

The lizard mutant's stern gaze softened and she slowly reached out to cup his cheek affectionately. 'I know.' She signed with a gentle smile before stepping close and kissing him softly.

Raphael let out a sigh of relief and pressed into the contact, softly wrapping his arms around her. He murmured softly. "I'm sorry. My temper…I just…I lose control…"

Mona pressed a gentle finger to his lips silencing him before she repeated: 'I know.'

Raph nodded and grinned bleakly at her before he turned to his youngest sibling. "Mikey I—" the hothead's voice was nothing more than a whisper, "I'm sorry."

Mikey smiled and nodded, but Leo smirked. "What was that? I don't think he heard you."

Neon green eyes narrowed at the eldest turtle and Raph grumbled. "Don't push it, Fearless!"

Leo just rolled his eyes and chuckled. Don cracked a smile.

And then, Michelangelo belatedly put two-and-two together. "Wait, so you guys were gaslighting me?" All the other turtles grinned. And Mikey crossed his arms over his plastron and glared. "Not cool!"

Everyone just laughed.

* * *

Later that night, Raphael retreated to his room. The other turtles didn't pay much attention to it, but Mona Lisa couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

So, when Leo suggested a movie night and Donnie and Mikey immediately latched onto the idea, Mona went down the hall to the hothead's room to ask him to join them. Unsurprisingly, the door was closed. The lizard mutant reached out with a thin hand and knocked softly, waiting for the grumbled 'Come in' before she entered.

Raph sat up and dangled his feet off the side of the bed as he turned to face her. "Hey. You need something?"

Mona shook her head and plopped down beside him. Her fingers danced softly across his shell for a few moments and he leaned into the contact, eventually giving in completely and laying across her lap with a sigh. The lizard mutant blushed down at him and reached out to gently stroke the side of his face with a giggle.

Raphael smiled and pressed into the contact. Mona Lisa looked beautiful. She always did. Then he remembered the way she had jumped away from him earlier and a frown marred his handsome face.

A thin, lime-green hand pressed into the turtle's plastron, where she could feel his strong, steady heart beat pounding away. Her soft, brown eyes filled with concern. 'Are you alright?' She asked worriedly.

The red masked turtle sighed, making Mona frown. Something had upset him. _What was wrong? Why wouldn't he tell her what was wrong? Could it be…No…_

'Do you still like me?' she asked, small tears slowly starting to gather at the corners of her eyes.

Raph's eyes widened in shock at the question before he realized that she thought he didn't…

He shot into action. Strong emerald green hands reached out and yanked her down, pulling her into his chest. He kissed her temple softly and whispered into her ear: "Of course I do! Don't ever think that, Mona! Don't ever doubt! I will always love you! Always! I swear it." Raphael was so desperate in his attempts to console her that he didn't even realize that he'd just confessed his love for her.

Mona sniveled a little and poked his plastron. He let her sit up again and she glowered down at him. 'Then why won't you tell me what's wrong?'

Raphael frowned and slowly confessed. "I—I…Mona I…I was afraid." The hothead admitted softly, refusing to meet her gaze.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she canted her head at him.

"I was afraid that…after what happened earlier…I was afraid that you would see me as a monster. I mean…my temper…my anger…I almost hurt Mikey…and you…"

Mona Lisa silenced the emerald green turtle and quelled his fears with a passionate kiss. Raphael mmmed and pressed up into the kiss as best he could, but the next thing he knew, a soft pressure was holding him down. Mona had her hand pressed against his plastron, keeping him from sitting up as she shifted into a more comfortable position, literally laying on his plastron. The red-masked turtle smiled and wrapped his arms around her as he pulled her down for another kiss before pulling away and letting her cuddle up against him.

It wasn't long before the lizard mutant was fast asleep. Raph smiled softly as he carefully lifted her and set her down beside him on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and soon he, too, fell into a deep, carefree sleep.

The next morning he was rudely awakened by a bright flash.

"MIKEY!"

* * *

 **So there you go! Chapter 16! Though I would like some advice.**

 **I'm really struggling with where I want this story to go next. See, I could try and keep it just mostly fluff, like it has been, but I warring with myself. I just…I could really use some input from you guys.**

 **What would you like to see? More conflicts, like Raph going out to beat up the human monsters who did those things to Mona? Or would you like more fluffy cute scenes?**

 **I plan to have both, of course, but I could use some help knowing which you enjoy more…**

 **Also, when I originally wrote up the notes for this story I created a villain who would pose a problem to both Mona and the Turtles. Now, I'm a little reluctant to insert her because I don't know whether you guys would really be interested. Do you want to see a villain in this story? Or is it working ok without one?**

 **I will really appreciate any feedback since I'm so conflicted! The sooner I get all this sorted out the sooner the next update will be too, so please share your opinions with me!**

 **-LEAH**


	17. In the Dead of Knight

**This is a looooooooooong chapter. Well…its not that long. But a LOT of stuff happens, so I recommend that you pay close attention. Plus there are a lot of little tiny bits of foreshadowing that will be important in the future! So…yeah.**

 **Now we're getting down the nitty gritty. This chapter is a little on the darker side. I mean, it's not** ** _dark_** **, but it's definitely more serious than the last few chapters were.**

 **Also, here we see the introduction of my Villain.**

 **(*disclaimer: Rouge Knight is my own creation and any relations she may have to persons living or dead is purely coincidental)**

 **And honestly…She is messed up! Urgh! I literally pissed myself off writing the first part of this chapter. By pissed myself off, I mean that I'm writing in her point of view and what I was typing was making me so mad that I could barely keep going. How dare she say all those horrible things! I really don't like her. (But I guess since she's the villain, that's a kinda a good thing.)**

 **Anyway…enjoy!**

 **P.S. Let me know if she pisses you off, too. Just out of curiosity.**

* * *

 **Ch. 17-In the Dead of Knight**

I can't believe it. Those imbeciles. Incompetent fools. That lab is supposed to have some of the best security in the nation. It's been weeks and still no sign of the creature. One of them is a turncoat. It's the only possible way. Subject X71364 couldn't have escaped without help. It was too weak! I'd made certain of that.

It must have been one of them. One of those morons who'd threatened to report me to the board for carrying out _inhumane_ experiments.

My blood-red lips curled back, showing the glint of my pristinely white teeth. I snarled. Inhumane? _I_ was being inhumane? Pfft. Like that _thing_ deserves to be treated like a human being. Those pansies lack guts as much as they do common sense. Monsters like that _abomination_ have no place in this world. They all deserve to wiped out. Snuffed right out of existence.

The only reason I kept _it_ alive was to teach it the reality of human suffering. I wanted that _thing_ to know exactly whom it was dealing with. After everything it took from me…

I, Professor Rouge Knight, was going to make history! I was going to prove that our planet is infested with freaks! With abominations! With aberrations! I intended to prove that our civilization was a piece of cardboard crawling with pests!

I leaned my arms on the building's edge and looked out at the city. I took a long drag from my cigarette and blew the smoke out through my nose.

 _Those cretins! Mutant freaks!_ I threw the cigarette to the floor and milled it into the ground with my shoe. _Pests! That's exactly what they are. And they should be dealt with in the same manner: extermination._ I growled darkly.

My black hair glinted blue in the moonlight as my ice blue eyes flashed coldly. I reached back and pulled my mask down over my face, tucking it down into the collar of the shirt I was wearing. It covered everything but my eyes. My white lab coat and wrinkled blue medical gloves provided a stark contrast to the rest of my attire, which consisted of only black.

I was ready.

I had filled my utility belt with some of my more…dangerous inventions. With a final twist of my foot I turned away from the cigarette and towards the edge of the building.

 _If those idiots won't do anything about tracking down that freak and finishing it off, I guess I'll just have to do it myself._

I leaped off the rooftop and into the night, vanishing silently into the shadows below.

* * *

The next day in the turtle lair was a little…hectic. Sensei was really going hard on the turtles in their training and by the time they finished, the four teenagers were absolutely exhausted. Raph slowly made his way over to the couch and sat at Mona's side.

With a frown he slowly spoke. "Mona…" Big, brown eyes turned to him expectantly and he fumbled for a few moments before going on. "I…Well, we…erm…meaning the four of us…my brothers and I…we…"Raph reached out and put hand on Mona's shoulder softly. "We asked April to come over today."

Mona's eyes went wide with horror and she began to shake, but Raph gripped her shoulders tightly and looked directly in her eyes. "Wait. Before you freak out, just listen! I know you won't be able to accept her the same way you did Casey. I know it's gonna take a lot longer for you to trust her…but please…Mona…April needs to continue her training with Master Splinter. Not only that, but we miss her too. She's our friend and its weird not having her down here all the time. Don's dying to see her."

Brown eyes hardened stubbornly and narrowed at the green-eyed turtle. 'You expect me to act as though her presence doesn't bother me?' Bitterness, anger and hurt welled up inside the lizard mutant and she snapped. There were tears in her eyes. 'You expect me to ignore all the things they did to me? All the pain they caused? You want me to just 'get over it'?'

Before she could storm off, Raphael reached out and grabbed her wrists. His neon green eyes stared directly into hers softly, allowing her to see the amount of pain and helplessness that he felt. "No, Mona. I don't expect you to do any of those things." The red-masked turtle wiped away her tears with the back of his hand and then cupped her face gently. "I'm asking you to trust me." He pulled her into a strong embrace. "I won't ever let anyone hurt you."

Mona nodded and returned the hug, her tears wetting his plastron as he rubbed her back soothingly. She knew with all her heart that Raph wouldn't let anything happen to her, but all the same, Mona was dreading the female human's visit.

* * *

April arrived at the lair ten minutes ahead of schedule. In all honesty, she'd been practically dying with boredom over the past few weeks and the prospect of being able to visit the turtles was a godsend. Still, April felt bad for the way they'd obviously scared the lizard mutant last time.

Of course, over the past few weeks Don had been visiting every three days or so to give her a rather short recap of what was going on down in the lair, but that wasn't the same. And she hadn't seen any of the other turtles since that night she'd visited with Casey. Considering they were practically a second family to her, that was hard. She missed Mikey's constant jokes and Raph's growls and Leo's subtle eye-rolls. Though it was nice that Donnie had come to see her every once in a while…

She walked slowly into the lair through the main entrance and the turnstiles. The sound of someone whirling around caught her ear and she turned to find Mona Lisa standing about ten feet away behind one of the couches.

The guys told her that Mona Lisa was ready, but to April it seemed that the lizard mutant was anything but. The lime-green mutant was shaking like a leaf. Why she was alone April could only imagine. Not sure whether or not she should say anything, April eventually settled for: "Where are the guys?" Mona Lisa said something in sign language, but April didn't speak sign, so she just canted her head in confusion. "Huh?"

The lizard rolled her eyes and pointed to the dojo. April smiled a little. Mona had attitude. That was for sure. The human female moved towards the dojo, which coincidentally brought her closer to Mona.

Strangely enough, the terrified mutant didn't budge, even though the tremor in her hands intensified.

April's eyes widened in surprise and Mona Lisa gave her a 'what?' glance. April smiled a little and murmured, "I'm just surprised you didn't move away."

Mona gestured something, but again, April didn't understand.

They both jumped as a voice from behind them muttered, "She says: Raphael trusts you."

The redheaded human relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. Then she glared at the turtle in question. "Donnie! Give a girl a warning next time!"

'Yeah.' Mona signed. Suddenly strong, emerald-green arms snaked their way around her from behind and Mona's shaking died down a little bit.

Raph glanced over at her and whispered calmly. "You okay?"

'As I can be.' The lizard mutant gestured with a shudder, never once taking her eyes off of April. In truth, after what had happened to her in that horrible lab, Mona Lisa had decided that she would never turn her back on a human female again.

April watched the two of them with interest. The last thing she'd heard the red-masked turtle was merely the lizard's guardian. She glanced down at the emerald green arms wrapped around Mona's waist, and then noted the way that Raphael gently cradled her close to him. She smiled. _How sweet._ Seeing Raphael in such situations really reminded April that for all of his brashness, he was a really sweet guy. As the saying goes: he had a mouth as sharp as a dagger, and a heart as soft as tofu.

Turning away to give the couple some privacy, April returned her attention to Donatello. "Hey Donnie! How's it going?"

The brainiac blushed brightly and rubbed the back of his head. "Ahhhh…huh-huh…well, pretty good actually. It's been weird not having you down here all the time. But I think the only way Mona will learn to accept you is if you start coming down on a regular basis again."

Mona Lisa pulled out of Raph's arms at Donnie's words. A brief flash of panic crossed her face. Finally, an emerald green hand wrapped tightly around hers and she turned to him.

Neon green eyes were soft and earnest.

April raised an eyebrow. She'd never seen Raph be this gentle with anyone before. Of course, there were moments where she'd seen him comfort Michelangelo or reassure Leonardo, but this took all of that to a whole other level.

But still…April frowned. She could sense that Mona Lisa's uncertainty and terror could not simply be pushed aside. And the way Donatello was talking, it seemed as though he expected Mona to simply 'move on'. As much as she wanted to believe that would be the case, April realized, with a heavy heart, that it was going to take a lot more than that.

Mona Lisa would need time, space, and comfort alongside the daily exposure to April and Casey's presence. A brief pang of anger flared through April's heart as she cursed the human race for being so inherently cruel. The lizard mutant had done nothing to deserve such a fate. She suffered through all of their tortures simply because she existed.

The redheaded human suddenly thought back to that night after they'd dropped in unexpectedly…

* * *

 **Flashback**

She and Casey had gone back to her place and decided to wait a few hours before calling the turtles to see if everything was okay. About an two hours passed before April's t-phone rang loudly. The two humans practically jumped on it, but April got it first and put it on speaker.

 _"Hello? April?"_

"Donnie! Is everything okay?! How's Mona?"

There was a sigh from the other end of the line. _"She's asleep, but from what Raph told us she was a nervous wreck."_

"I'm so sorry Don! I had not idea…"

 _"Don't apologize, April. It's not your fault. We didn't know then what we do now."_

Casey raised and eyebrow and their eyes met for a brief moment before they stared confusedly down at the phone.

"What do you mean?" Casey asked insistently.

 _"Am I on speaker?"_

"Yeah." April answered, before turning Don's attention back to the issue at hand. "What did you mean, Donnie?"

 _"Well—urm…"_ Don suddenly sounded nervous. _"I think it'll be better coming from Raph."_

That made April blink blankly. Raphael was a turtle of very few words and a lot of attitude. ' _Better coming from Raph?'_ Moments like this certainly didn't arise very often…

There was a short pause before a soft grunt revealed that Raphael was no holding the phone.

In the background they heard Donnie mutter: _"Tell them what you told us, Raph."_

There was a low growl. Casey Jones' eyes narrowed. Whatever the red masked turtle was going to say, Casey could already tell he wasn't going to like it.

Raph spoke slowly, his voice deep and quivering with barely restrained rage. _"It's nothing personal, April. Mona Lisa reacted badly because…because of her past experience."_

Casey frowned and burst out, "But she did alright with me. Why is Red any different?"

We both stared expectantly down at the phone as we waited not-so-patiently for Raphael's answer. Finally, with a deep breath, the gruff voice on the other end of the line softly admitted. _"Because April is a woman, Casey. The person…the_ _ **monster**_ _…that did all of those things to Mona…It was a female scientist."_

April gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as she thought about how terrified Mona Lisa must have been. After all the progress the lizard mutant had made…it must have brought everything back…poor thing.

There was a pause before Raph went on. _"I—I think it would be better if you guys try and stay away for the next week or so. We'll let you know when Mona's ready."_

The redhead wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "O-Of course. We understand." It sounded like the hothead was about to hang up, but April caught him just in time. "And Raph?"

 _"…Yeah?"_

"No one deserves to live with that kind of fear. Take care of her."

The determination in Raphael's voice was resolute. _"I intend to."_

 **End Flashback**

* * *

That kind of hurt wasn't just going to fade away into nothingness. There would undoubtedly be fear and discomfort for a long time. But…perhaps she could lessen it a little right off the bat.

April's bright blue eyes narrowed with determination and she turned and took a few steps towards the female lizard mutant.

Mona's eyes widened in fear and her muscles tensed. Raph sent April a curious stare, but made no move to stop the redhead. In reality, the turtle was closely watching Mona's reaction. He decided that he wouldn't come between them unless it was absolutely imperative. As much as it hurt him to see Mona so terrified, the hothead knew that if he continued protecting her all the time she would never learn.

The lizard mutant shuddered and held out a hand, her way of telling April not to come and closer. 'Stay Away'. She signed frantically.

The human teenager's expression softened a little. "Mona…I know that you don't trust me. I know that it will take a long time for you to be comfortable having me around. And I know that you probably won't believe anything I say since I don't have your trust, but…I won't hurt you. I swear it." April held up a hand and crossed her heart solemnly.

Mona's shaking slowly died down. Seconds of silence quickly turned into minutes. Green lips pressed into an impassive line as the lizard's eyes bored a hole straight through the human female. April felt as though Mona was trying to see straight through her.

The longer Mona Lisa stared the more her fears began to slowly dissipate. There was something in April's eyes. It was the same thing she had seen in Raphael's eyes the day he rescued her. The same thing she'd seen in each of the turtles' eyes since she'd come to stay here: genuine concern. April…cared.

Mona's lip trembled a little as the eyes of her tormenter flashed through her mind's eye…that human female who had been so vindictive…so awful. Those eyes…they were cold, uncaring. Her eyes were filled with nothing but hatred. Hatred and some awful kind of glee, as though it had pleased her to see her captive in pain.

Tears rose up in the lizard's eyes and she dabbed them away. She shook her head to push those horrible memories aside, and refocused on April. Mona took a deep breath and straightened. With slow, tentative steps, she pushed her fears aside and began to close the five feet of distance between them.

Raphael stared wide-eyed and Donnie's jaw dropped.

April herself froze. She couldn't bring herself to move for fear that it would upset Mona Lisa.

A thin, four-fingered hand trembled as Mona softly reached out and put her hand on April's shoulder.

Bright blue irises glowed as she made eye contact with Mona Lisa. Her lips parted in surprise as she realized that even though Mona was terrified, the lizard mutant was using all her strength to push past her fears. April relaxed and sent Mona an easy-going, encouraging smile.

The female mutant nodded gravely, and pulled her hand off the human's shoulder.

The next thing April knew there was a light green hand in front of her, as though Mona Lisa was offering it for a handshake.

Not sure how the female mutant would react, April hesitated. But Mona Lisa only stuck the hand out further, slightly more insistently.

Eventually, April decided it would be better to go ahead and take the lizard up on her offer. She reached out slowly and smoothly, being careful not to make any sudden moves.

Mona shook hands with her softly before immediately pulling away and dropping back to Raphael's side. The redhead nodded understandingly at Mona's actions. Just because they'd struck a tentative peace didn't mean that Mona was ready to face _all_ her fears just yet.

* * *

It was a long day. Mona Lisa was on edge practically every moment of the day, until April finally departed. Once the human was gone, the lizard mutant collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. Raphael sat beside her and the two of them watched television for a little while. Mona Lisa fell into a deep sleep and Raphael rolled his eyes. _I wouldn't be surprised if one day I found out she just **pretends** to fall asleep so I'll carry her to her room. _ Raph thought with a smile as he lifted her into his arms and carried off. He set her down gently on the bed and turned off the light as he left, closing the door behind him.

He didn't hear Mona's whimper.

* * *

 **Bonus Chapter-add-on: Living Nightmares**

Everything was blurry. She didn't know what was going on. She didn't know what she was doing, or how she had gotten here. The images were so obscured…she could barely make out what was going on. The ground was concrete and the walls were gray and bleak. _What is this place? Why do I feel like I've been here before?_

Mona Lisa tossed and turned in her sleep, another whimper escaping her lips.

There were creatures. Strange…things…scary things…They came at her, with their purple eyes glowing. A piercing wail split the air. Was that her? Had she screamed? She wasn't sure.

Sweat began to accumulate on her brow as she rolled over, trying to escape the images that plagued her.

Those things! There were more of them. They were grabbing her and trying to take her away! _Don't! Don't let them take me_! Wait! There was something else…someone else…It threw the creatures away from her and yelled something. Something. She couldn't understand what they were saying. A horrible sound split the air and the figure that was protecting her fell to the side.

 _"NO!"_ A voice in the dream yelled. Who said that? Mona tried to see, tried to figure out what was going on, but then there was the sound of something shattering. It soaked her. She wailed, not knowing what to do. And then…pain. Waves and waves of searing pain. There was someone yelling. Who was yelling?

Those things came and tried to grab her, but just as they reached down, a voice stopped them. The indistinguishable figure stood laboriously and seemed to be trying once more to protect her.

That horrible sound echoed down the alley once more and something hit her protector in the chest. He fell back against the wall with a sickening thud. There was the sound of someone else coming and suddenly the creatures pulled away and ran off. Mona Lisa stared at the unmoving form of her protector, slowly getting closer and closer. No. No. No. Please get up! Please wake up! Why won't you wake up? No…No…

Suddenly the image cleared and she could see his face. His _human_ face.

"DADDY!" Mona Lisa screamed at the top of her lungs, as she shot up in bed, her eyes wide open. She shook as the air caressed the cold sweat on her forehead.

* * *

Outside, all four turtles had jumped out of their beds and come running as a terrified scream of "DADDY!" echoed through the lair.

Master Splinter appeared soon after. "My sons, what is going on? Have you had a nightmare?" He looked at each turtle, but they all shook their heads.

Then Raphael straightened and his neon green eyes filled with fear. "Mona." He whispered beneath his breath. The hotheaded turtle sprang into action and burst into Mona's room. The rest of the clan followed right on his heels.

* * *

The lizard mutant was shaking in her bed, everything she'd seen repeatedly flashing before her eyes. She was so far gone that she didn't even feel the bed dip a little as the red-masked turtle climbed on and wrapped his arms around her. Mona's eyes slowly moved down to his arms before looking at him as though she hadn't even realized he was there.

Mona's expression was so blank, so devoid of feeling that Raphael's eye-ridges creased with worry. "Mona." He called softly, but he got no response.

The images continued to plague her and she simply sat there, wide-eyed, watching them flow. Tears filled her eyes and once again spilled down her cheeks. She shook her head. _No. No. No._ The face of her protector flashed in front of her yet again. _No!_ "Daddy…" She whispered.

Raph's arms fell and he pulled away from her in shock. The rest of the Hamato family gasped. A short silence spread through the room. Mona's expression was still absently blank and Raphael finally couldn't take it anymore. He reached out and grabbed her by the forearms, turning her around as carefully as he could.

At long last, Mona' s soft, chocolate-brown eyes finally met Raphael's neon green irises with some measure of clarity. Raph ran an emerald green hand down the side of her face. "Mona…you-you-you…spoke." He stated disbelievingly.

Mona's eyes widened. She could speak? Her body began to shake, her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes darted about restlessly. She shook her head. No she can't speak. She couldn't have spoke. But she had…But how? What was going on? What were those images? Where had they come from? Why had that human protected her? And why, after seeing his face, did she instinctually want to call him 'daddy'? She shook her head. Too much. It was all too much. What was she supposed to do now? What did it mean? Why now?

"Raphael, she's in shock." A voice said. It sounded far away, like it had come from another room.

The world began to spin and the next thing she knew the world was flying beneath her feet. She turned and looked up. Strong, emerald-green arms cradled her softly against a strong, cracked plastron. Mona dazedly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against his plastron. The arms around her squeezed her gently in response. The lizard mutant pressed desperately into the contact, pushing all her confusion and fear aside, as she focused solely on the comforting presence of the muscular, emerald-green arms. She closed her eyes, listening to the soft steady beat of Raphael's heart, as she was swept away…

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it?**

 **Also, I know I asked this above, but does Rouge piss you off? Because the way she talks about mutants really irks me.**


	18. Dying Heart

**Enjoy! Not much Mona in this chapter, but some backstory! Bonus add-on with some Brotherly Bonding! Enjoy!**

 **And don't be fooled by the beginning either. It is part of this story. You'll see how it fits in as you keep reading! :P**

* * *

 **Ch. 18-Dying Heart**

This is a story of love lost. Of devastation, heartbreak, anger and cowardice. This is a tragedy. This is the story of how my heart…died.

It all started twenty-two years ago. Back then we were the best of friends…It was the classic dilemma: two girls and one boy. I was young and foolish. An eighteen-year-old head-over-heels in love.

The three of us were inseparable. Clarissa, my best friend, my sister, as I called her then. And Wayne: the love of my life. We did everything together. We laughed and joked and spent practically every moment of the day together. Sometimes we would all climb into Wayne's van and drive out to the country on a moments' notice. We'd laze about at his parent's farm, laying by the lake and skipping stones, or in the fields staring up at the stars. Those were the best days.

And then, that all ended.

Then our relationship faded. Wayne began to look more at Clarissa than he did at me. It wasn't long before Wayne approached to inform me that he wanted to end our relationship because he'd fallen in love with Clarissa. Being forthright and honest had always been one of his greater virtues. But that was of little comfort. In the long-run, all it did was hurt.

It hurt to be around them. It hurt to see them. The pain of broken heart had overwhelmed me. So I left to pursue my career.

Three years passed. And then…the letter. I recognized the handwriting on the envelope immediately. To this day I can still remember the way my hands shook as I ripped it open. With every word, a weight was added to my chest. I felt as though I was being smothered and crushed.

My fist clenched and I slammed it into the table, tears running rapidly down my cheeks. I bit back my sobs and silenced them. It wasn't difficult. I'd had a lot of practice over the past three years.

Despite my anguish and initial rejection of the letter, I found myself coming back to it and reading it again. Out of respect for the past, I finally sat down and wrote a reply.

The wedding was beautiful. I had to leave early because it was too much like what I dreamed of back when I was dating Wayne.

I decided to stay in the city. I kept in loose touch with my old friends, but tried not to see them any more than necessary. Even after all those years the wound in my heart still stung.

A few more years flew by.

Clarissa was pregnant. But there were complications. She died in childbirth. Wayne was devastated. I was the only one who could comfort him. We slowly began to spend more time together.

It wasn't until six more years had passed that I realized I had fallen in love again.

Wayne worshiped the very ground his daughter walked on. Though it made sense that he would. She looked just like her mother. Wavy brown hair and soft, brown eyes. I couldn't help but resent her. It was as though even now Clarissa was posthumously maintaining her hold over Wayne. But I pushed that aside as best I could.

I told Wayne what I wanted. I offered him my love.

He refused. He said that he had to do what was best for his daughter. Despite all of my efforts he must have somehow sensed the grudge I held towards her. He said that he wanted me to leave and to disassociate myself from him.

"Get on with your life," he said. "All you've done since Clari died is try to replace her! Well, you can't! So stay away from my daughter, and stay away from me!"

He didn't mean it. I knew that he still loved me. He just couldn't bring himself to accept that he had always loved me, not her. He didn't mean it.

I came back the next evening, only to hear a commotion in the alley behind his apartment building. I peered around the corner. Terror tied a knot in my stomach.

 _Robots? …Wayne?!_

"NO!" I yelled as I heard a shot and saw Wayne fall to the ground, jumping in front of a small, delicate figure. The sound of glass breaking filled the air and I watched as a strange, glowing ooze fell on the little girl's head and arms. She screamed. Those robots tried to grab her, but something shoved them away. _Wayne!_

They shot him in the chest and he crumpled. He fell limp on the pavement and I could feel my heart being ripped viciously from my chest. I jumped up from my hiding place and jostled a few tin cans, making a noise. The robots scurried off.

Then my eyes fell on the little creature now standing by Wayne's side. My eyes narrowed and I shoved her away violently. She let out a startled cry. Tears ran down the sides of my face and I glared angrily at her.

 _This is all her fault! The stupid little freak! At least now I can see her for the monster she is! He wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for her! The little witch! She took everything from me! Just like her mother!_

I died that day. As I watched the little monster run off into the night I vowed revenge on all freaks of nature. I will see them all exterminated. Starting with that little lizard.

 _I swear it._

* * *

 **Bonus Chapter-add-on: Family**

Neon green eyes latched onto the tall, lanky turtle as soon as Donatello entered the main room. Raph hadn't spoken for hours. He sat on the couch in quiet contemplation, a deep, worried crease etched in his face. His elbows rested on his knees and his shoulders were uncharacteristically bowed.

Michelangelo had tried to get the red-masked turtle to eat something, but Raphael had refused to acknowledge him. For the first time in weeks the lair was absolutely silent and it was very disconcerting.

Don met Raph's probing gaze with a soft stare and a gentle sigh. "I performed a full medical examination. She's fine."

Raphael released a bated breath that he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

Donatello went on. "I'm guessing that whatever happened in that nightmare of hers really de-railed her."

Raph nodded, his eyes disturbingly vacant. Then they cleared a little as he returned his attention to his purple-masked sibling. "Can I see her?" He asked hesitantly with a brief glance at the lab door.

The eldest turtle glanced over at his hothead sibling softly.

Truth be told, Leonardo was acting as Raphael's rock for the time being. It had taken the leader almost half and hour to calm Raph down after Donnie had kicked him out of the lab. Since then they'd sat side-by-side in a rare bout of companionable silence.

But behind his mask of neutrality, Leo was worried. Really worried. Raphael was beside himself with worry. Not only that, but Leo was pretty sure that Mona Lisa wasn't the only one in shock.

Strong, muscular shoulders trembled as a violent shiver ran down his spine. Leo frowned and plucked a blanket up off the couch to lay it over Raph's shoulders.

The emerald green head whipped around and vibrant green eyes glared defensively.

Leo sighed and placed a placating hand on the stubborn shoulder. "Relax Raph. I think it's pretty obvious by now that Mona's not the only one having trouble here." Dark blue eyes noted the way that Donatello, who had previously been rather terse, suddenly softened and immediately began sizing up the red-masked turtle's condition. He nodded his approval. Raph was stressed practically to the breaking point both mentally and physically.

When he noticed Don's probing looks, Raphael's eyes narrowed until they were practically slits. He jumped to his feet and yanked the blanked off of his shoulders, tossing it pointedly to the ground.

"Raphie…" Mikey murmured softly, coming forward and trying to wrap the hothead in a tight hug. Said turtle narrowly and deliberately avoided the youngest turtle's grasping arms.

"Stop it, Mike. I just wanna see Mona." Raph hoisted himself over the back of the couch and headed straight for the lab. Two sets of strong arms gabbed him and held him back. He turned to glare at them. "Let me go! I said let go of me!" They didn't respond. "Leo, Don, I swear if you don't let go of me I'll—"

Don held up a hand. "Save your threats, Raph. And just listen to what we have to say. Mona's going to be fine. You aren't doing anyone any good by ignoring your own health! Please, Raphael, stop fighting us!" At any other moment, Raphael would have thrown his brothers off. He was more than capable of it, after all. But right now…that waver in Donnie's voice told him that it was serious. So he backed down.

Leo stared at Donatello in awe as Raphael actually stopped struggling. Man, what the leader wouldn't give to get Raph to listen to him like that….

Donnie walked around to face the hothead and give him a good once-over. There were dark rings under Raph's eyes. "Hey Raph?" the hothead's eyes sluggishly moved up to meet Donnie's and the brainiac went on. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

Neon green eyes tore away from the genius' searching brown gaze. Leo leaned forward and put a gentle arm around Raph's shoulders as they sagged dejectedly, pulling him into a one-armed embrace.

With a sigh the emerald green turtle finally answered. "No…I-I couldn't sleep. I was worried about Mona. I mean, I know she acted all brave in front of April and all, but I know that it definitely brought up painful memories for her. I was about to fall asleep when I heard…" Raphael shuddered again and we all knew what he meant. "I just—I can't believe she actually…"

Leonardo only hugged his immediate younger brother tighter. The eldest turtle had never heard his younger brother sound so…hurt, so…helpless. Suddenly, with that one small revelation, everything became clear. It wasn't just the shock and Mona's terror that had upset Raphael. It was the fact that he couldn't do anything to help her. Raph was tearing himself apart.

The next thing the hothead knew he was stuck in the middle of a four-way hug. Raph said nothing. He couldn't find the words. Suddenly, his brothers pulled abruptly away and Raph was left a little dazed, until he realized that Splinter was standing in front of him, arms-open. Much as he wanted to throw himself into his father's embrace, that wouldn't condone his tough-guy image, so Raphael slowly stepped into the old rat's arms.

Raph ignored his brothers and whispered for his father's ears only. "I _need_ to see her Sensei. Please…Father…." Neon green eyes glowed in earnest.

Even though his brothers couldn't see it, the old rat noticed that there was a slight buildup of moisture in the red-masked turtle's eyes. Slowly, Splinter pulled his emerald green son into one last loose embrace before letting go and putting a hand on Raphael's shoulder. "Go, my son."

Michelangelo began to trail after Raphael as the hothead stormed into the lab, but a soft hand held him back. The youngest turtle turned and looked over his shoulder to see Donatello frowning sadly at him. "Don't Mikey." The brainiac nodded towards the door of the lab and Mikey glanced in the direction indicated just in time to see Leo follow Raph silently into the lab.

Baby-blue eyes sparkled softly as he nodded and headed to the kitchen to make dinner. Despite all of Mikey's qualms, Raph couldn't be in better hands.

* * *

 **Leo's POV**

Mona's nightmare last night really rattled Raphael. He's really upset. Goodness knows, Raph's always been sensitive, much as he tries to convince us otherwise. _Heck, Mona's screams last night got us all rattled._

I'm worried about her. We all are. Especially Raphael. I hope that he'll be able to help her though this.

I have to admit I thought she was doing well. And then…this happened.

Raph hasn't eaten at all today. And that doesn't bode well. Sometimes when he's upset my immediate younger brother stops eating. I don't really know why. I don't even know whether it's actually a conscious decision or whether Raphael doesn't even realize that he's refusing food. Either way, it's worrisome.

I was surprised that Sensei agreed to let Raph see Mona. Honestly, I was hoping that we'd be able to make him eat something first. But…if Sensei agreed than he must have had his reasons. Still…Raph's riding on a bit of an emotional tidal wave right now, so I'm just gonna stay nearby just in case.

After all, he's one of my little brothers. And I'd do anything to make sure that my little brothers are okay.

I put distance between Raphael and myself as we entered the lab. He knows I'm here, of that I'm sure. But for once in his life, the hothead is letting down that tough-guy mask of his. I watch in fascination as Raph crosses the room to stand at Mona Lisa's side, gently rubbing their foreheads together before pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her face.

It suddenly dawned on me Raph and Mona had a long way to go in terms of conquering her fears. And her past is going to be their biggest obstacle.

Mona will get through this, though. She has to.

Not only that, but we'll find the scientist responsible for all the pain she's endured. And I'll see to it that she gets taught a thorough lesson. By the time we're through that scientist will know the true meaning of the word family.

Because like I said, I'll do anything for my brothers. And I know that Raph would do the same.

With a gentle smile, I watched my immediate younger sibling grabbing Mona's hand softly in his own as the lizard mutant began to stir. I turned away and left the room to fetch Donnie.

On the way another thought came to mind:Much as I loathe frightening Mona Lisa anymore than need be, I'll have to talk to the guys about doing another intel-raid on that human research center. That way we can find out exactly who was responsible for Mona's suffering.

As the leader, I'd be more than happy to 'bust the heads' of those responsible myself, but I'm afraid I'll have to take a step back on this one. After all, Raph's interest is much more personal. My eyes narrowed. But that doesn't mean I won't be there to make sure that she really gets what's coming to her.

* * *

 **Review** **Please! How was it?**


	19. The Truth

**Enjoy this chapter guys! It's basically just a Raph/Mona comfort chapter after her nightmare. I touch a little bit on Mona's sign language, but I'll focus more on that in future chapters.**

* * *

 **Ch. 19-The Truth**

Raphael grabbed Mona's hand in his, softly. He leaned over and rubbed his forehead gently against the lizard mutant's with infinite tenderness. As her light green eyelids fluttered open, Mona shot up off the table, practically jumping into Raph's arms. Emerald green arms slowly wrapped around her, as though slightly shocked.

A very lost and uncomfortable feeling stewed in Raph's gut. Tears really weren't his territory. And in a situation like this he felt incredibly inept. So he did the one thing he knew he could do: held her close and tight.

He ran a hand slowly through her hair. But instead of tussling it, as he usually did, Raph found himself focusing on the way the soft, wavy locks felt as they slid through his large, green fingers. He closed his eyes and just tried to feel Mona. He wanted her to feel his presence beside her, to know that she was here, in his arms, safe. But more than anything else…Raphael wanted her to stop crying.

And so far…it seemed as though it wasn't about to happen anytime soon. The hard, raucous sobs that wracked Mona Lisa's frame showed no indication of slowing and Raphael could feel the tears that were now starting to wet his plastron. Finally, in an act of desperation, Raphael grabbed her forearms gently, wiped the tears away, and kissed each of her damp cheeks softly.

Mona's sobs came to an abrupt and hiccupping halt. Her cheeks darkened a little as she sniffled, her soft, chocolate eyes never leaving Raph's.

"Please, please Mona…don't cry." He tried his best to keep that waver out of his voice. He really did. But the longer his neon green gaze stared into her brown orbs, the more his heart cried out in anguish. Mona was hurting.

 _Mona Lisa's in pain and there's nothing I can do! I don't know what to do!_ He thought to himself.

Then another part of him, the softer side, spoke up. _But I can't just keep standing here doing nothing!_

So he did the first and only thing he could think of. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her warmly on the lips.

They parted sooner than Mona would have liked, and she wrapped her arms around Raph's neck. Emerald green hands held her firmly against him as the turtle pressed their foreheads together.

Their gazes locked. Mona stared in awe. _Are those…tears?_

Raphael's eyes were wet with tears that had not yet run down his face. His effulgent green irises burned with anger and his shoulders heaved up and down with his labored breaths. When he spoke, his voice was shaking with the force of his emotions. "Mona—I've never been good at this…I've never been good at words…but…I promise you, Mona Lisa, you'll never have to suffer alone. Never again. I'll always be here. You can tell me anything. You don't have to be afraid. I'll protect you. You don't have to keep your feelings locked away inside. I'll be here for you. And if you don't want to talk right away, or you don't feel comfortable about something, I'll wait for you."

The red-masked turtle immediately found himself fighting the urge to face-palm. _Geez Raphael, how cheesy can you get?! Urgh!_ He tried to contain his hide his embarrassment, but he could already feel his cheeks betraying him and reddening rapidly. The hothead struggled to reign in all of his warring his emotions, but they were proving to be infinitely stronger than he had thought.

Mona Lisa, however, didn't care whether it was a cheesy line or not. She smiled up at him with grateful tears in her eyes.

The lizard mutant barreled into Raph full force and clung to his plastron like a barnacle to a whale, with no intention of letting go.

"I hate seeing you in pain." He confessed softly.

Mona nodded against his plastron and Raphael knew that she felt the same.

Raph's emerald green arms came slowly wrapped around her waist and shoulders. His lips softly brushed the side of her face as he murmured, "I'd do anything for you." His voice dropped below a whisper and he turned his gaze to the floor. "I know you'd do the same for me." Raph grew even quieter. "I love you too much to see you hurt like this."

Their eyes met. Mona smiled up at him, and with a quiet, final sniffle, she leaned up to kiss him chastely on the lips.

Raph kissed back with fervor, his hands cupping the sides of her face gently.

Another figure suddenly barged into the lab and froze in their tracks. The figure in question smirked and let out a loud 'Whoop-whoop.' "Hate to break up the make-out session you two, but I need to borrow lover-boy for a few moments." The purple-masked turtle said with smirk, his arms crossed over his chest.

Raph jerked away roughly and growled at his immediate younger brother. _Sometimes I really hate having siblings…_ He thought with a roll of his eyes. "Mona's coming with, Donnie. I don't want her to be alone right now."

Donatello frowned. "You better have her stay with Master Splinter then. Leo wants to discuss the plans for our next…" Don paused and sent an unidentifiable glance in Mona's direction. "…mission."

Mona Lisa raised a suspicious eyebrow. _What is Donatello trying to hide?_ She immediately became wary and gestured to Raphael, 'I want to go with you. I want to know what's going on.'

Raph's posture stiffened and he tensed. "Mona…I'm sorry, but I think Donnie's right."

The lizard mutant's mood shifted. She put her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed. 'You said you would do anything for me, yet you won't even tell me the truth? You're hiding something from me and I can feel it.'

Donnie, who had been instrumental in teaching Mona Lisa American Sign Language, raised an eye-ridge at her words. But as his over-active mind processed everything in full, he couldn't stop a second smirk from crossing his face. _Raph actually admitted he would do anything for her?_ The purple-masked turtle watched with great amusement as Raph's cheeks reddened. Then the brainiac realized that if Mona Lisa discovered the truth about the plans for their next mission, she would probably freak out. So Don decided to help his brother out and take action. "Mona, Raph just doesn't want to worry you. It's just a simple reconnaissance mission, but you'd probably be more comfortable if you don't have to listen to all the different kinds of risks we take on a daily basis." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Please, Mona Lisa, trust us."

Mona's brown eyes glanced from Donnie to Raph and then to the ground. 'Fine.' She signed, giving in. There was flash of worry in her eyes as she gestured, 'Be careful.' Raphael grinned and nodded.

As he walked her to the dojo, the lizard mutant leaned against him and held his hand. They stopped just inside and Raph squeezed her hand reassuringly as he began to turn away. But Mona grabbed his fingers and tugged him back, making him pause. Hesitatingly, Mona Lisa signed, 'I mean it Raphael. Please be careful.'

"Careful as I can be." He jeered good-naturedly. Raph's grin quickly faded, however, as he saw the apprehensive and fearful expression on in her sensitive, coffee-colored eyes. "Mona I…" His voice died mid-sentence as she turned away from him. An emerald green hand reached out and slowly wrapped around her elbow. "…Mona?"

When she turned back around, her eyes were once again red with tears, but it was obvious to Raphael that she was fighting them back. Much as he wanted to hold onto her, to pull her close to him, he resisted. Something in his gut was telling him that this was not the moment.

'I saw so many things.' She began, roughly extricating her arm from the turtle's grip.

Raph raised an eye-ridge. _Is she talking about...?_

'Things…I don't understand. Places…that I remember, but I don't know how or why. But…the one thing I do know…is that I lost someone.' Mona's eyes remained glued to the floor as she refused to meet Raphael's gaze.

After failing to make eye contact with Mona Lisa, Raph focused instead on the bottom of his Sensei's door, wondering briefly whether or not the old rat could hear every word of this conversation. Well, his side of the conversation, anyway. And in all likelihood, Splinter probably could. He pushed those thoughts aside and muttered. "You were screaming 'Daddy'."

Their eyes met briefly and there was a flicker of something undistinguishable in Mona's gaze before she slowly turned her back to him and refused to say anything further.

Raphael was confused. This was very different from the discussion they'd had just a few minutes before in the lab. This was a darker, heavier topic that left Raph feeling like a great weight had suddenly been placed on his chest.

'I want you to tell me the truth.' She signed.

The emerald green turtle raised and eye-ridge. "I wouldn't lie to you."

'Yes you would.' She retorted immediately, as though she had known exactly what he was going to say. Her eyes narrowed and she stomped over and poked him in the chest. 'You'd lie to me if you thought lying would save me the hurt. I want the truth.'

"The truth about what?" Raph asked, even though he already knew what she meant.

'Donatello's thumb twitches when he lies.' She stated, her expression growing increasingly serious. 'What is the mission?'

He leered dryly at the sudden emergence of her obstinate streak. "You're too stubborn for your own good."

A brief smile fluttered across her lips and she smirked, 'Tell me something I don't know.'

Raph smiled briefly before his expression grew slightly more…guarded. "I don't want to upset you."

'The truth.' She put a hand on his shoulder and stared right into his neon green eyes.

The hothead sighed. There was no way he could avoid this question without a fight and honestly, that was the last thing he wanted at the moment. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "We're going to infiltrate the human research lab that was holding you captive."

Every ounce of strength Mona Lisa had collected over the past few minutes suddenly vanished and her legs turned to jelly. As she fell to her knees, she found Raphael immediately by her side, his face filled with concern. Her hands shook, making it difficult for him to understand her next few words. 'If…if they catch you…they'll…' Chestnut eyes slowly turned their focus down to one of her many scars.

As soon as the red-masked turtle realized what she was going to say, he gripped her tightly by the shoulders and whispered into her ear. "We're ninjas, Mona. They won't catch us. Besides, its just a recon mission." He smiled softly as he consoled her.

Mona gestured meekly, 'I don't ever want to lose anyone again.'

A sigh escaped Raphael's lips as he frowned sadly down at her. His thumb stroked her cheek gently as he allowed his rock-hardened, tough-guy mask to fall once more. "Mona…I know it's hard to accept losing the ones you love. It's always hard. It's the hardest thing in the world. But it happens all the time, to everyone. Death is a part of life."

She stared in awe at him for a few moments. But before she could say anything more he went on, taking a seat beside her. He leaned back and stared up at the light coming through the ceiling and the tree branches above their heads.

It struck Mona Lisa that at that moment he looked almost…confused. Like a philosopher struggling to understand the meaning of life.

Raph lips folded down into a smooth, thoughtful frown. "I—I sometimes wonder what will happen when one of us…ya know? Or when Master Splinter's gone. It just won't be the same. It will never be the same…but…somehow…life will go on without him. And even after the four of us are gone…life will continue."

Silence spread between them for a long moment before Mona shifted so that she was seated directly in front of him. 'I'm most afraid of losing you.' She gestured before she cuddled up against his side and lay her head on his shoulder.

Raph raised an eye-ridge slightly and smirked down at her. An emerald green finger flicked her nose lightly and the lizard mutant sent him a curious stare. His smirk melted into a one-sided grin. "Don't be getting all sappy on me now." Raph said with a slight chuckle. Mona rolled her eyes and lay her head back on his shoulder. There was about thirty seconds of silence, during which, Mona could feel Raphael's gaze on her. Finally, she looked back up at him. He reached up with his right hand and ruffled her hair.

Mona sputtered in shock for a few moments before glaring heatedly at the mischievous, and now smirking, turtle. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted briefly before pouncing on the laughing hothead with a lighthearted growl. They rolled about on the floor for several minutes before the bottom end of a walking stick tapped twice on the ground about two inches from their faces.

Both mutant teenagers looked up in surprise at the old rat. Was it just Raph's imagination, or was there a slight hint of a grin at the corner of his father's mouth?

"When the two of you are quite finished I should like an explanation." He stated smoothly.

Raphael jumped to his feet and offered a hand to Mona and helped her up before turning back to Master Splinter. "Sensei! I was hoping that Mona could stay with you for a little while. Leo wants to discuss the plans for our next mission."

Splinter nodded in understanding. "Hmm. I see. That is quite alright, my son. In fact," Splinter turned to Mona with a gentle smile, "there are a few things I have been meaning to discuss with Mona Lisa."

Mona canted her head, curiously. Raph also looked curious, but he could tell from the way his Sensei said it, that Splinter wanted to talk to Mona alone.

The next thing the red-masked turtle knew, Mona Lisa had bounded over and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. He could feel his cheeks growing hot and increasingly red, even after she pulled away. Then Raph realized that his father was staring at him with an eyebrow raised in amusement.

"I—uh…I—uh better get—going—or something…" The hothead blurted out before turning and running out of the dojo.

Splinter stroked his beard thoughtfully as he stared after the red-masked turtle in amusement. _I do not think I have ever seen Raphael move so fast._ He thought with a smile.

* * *

 **Well, how was it? It wasn't too melodramatic, was it?**


	20. Now! Before It's Too Late

**Yes, I am still alive! YAY! I am very pleased to announced that after a one week and what, like 5 day, hiatus, I have finally sorted out how the next two or three chapters of this story are going to go, building up for the big climax! Which means that I'll be able to whip them out faster now that I have a plan again! YAY!**

 **This chapter starts of whimsical, but quickly turns into a very trying time as Mona watches Raph get ready for their mission at the human research center.**

* * *

 **Ch. 20-Now! Before it's too late…**

"There are several things I need to discuss with you, Mona Lisa." The old rat stated as he steered her into the center of the dojo. "First and foremost, I am well aware that you have a fear of sharp objects and weapons, but now that you have become part of my family, it is imperative that you learn how to defend yourself."

A fearful look crossed Mona's face and he was quick to reassure her. "Do not fear, little one. You will not need to concern yourself with weapons for a while yet. For now we will focus only on hand-to-hand combat and the power of the mind. From your dedication to meditation I have already seen that you will become a very devoted student."

Mona Lisa gave him a doubtful look and Splinter chuckled. "Do not doubt yourself, my child. You have a great potential. More importantly, I want to ensure that you are not harmed in the future." He stated, his eyes darkening at the thought of anyone hurting the sweet, unassuming lizard mutant any further.

 _Ah…at this point I have more children than I ever could have imagined all those years ago. Four—or five sons including Casey Jones—and now three daughters. I have enough students to proclaim this the beginning of a new generation of the Hamato Clan._ Then the old rat's contemplative frown turned into a smile. _Not that there is anything wrong with gaining children. But there was another matter they needed to discuss. "_ Mona Lisa…" He paused and chose his words carefully. "I'm am sure that you are aware how deeply I care about my sons."

Her eyes peered softly up at him and she nodded.

Master Splinter sighed. "Raphael…is my pride and joy. He is his brothers' strength. He is their passion."

She looked confused.

The old rat lowered his gaze. "He cares very deeply. Especially for you, little one. Please…do not hurt him."

Mona Lisa gave Master Splinter a very serious nod. _She wouldn't dream of it._

* * *

Mona trembled with fear as she followed Raphael around his room while he gathered his gear. Today was the day of the turtle's planned intel raid on the human research facility and she had never felt more scared in her life. As Raph finished getting everything he needed from his room, he began to head for the door. But he stopped short as he realized that there was something…er, someone…blocking his path.

"Step aside Mona."

The lizard mutant shook her head and threw herself at the turtle. Raphael wrapped his an arm around her, while his other hand stroked the side of her face softly. "I'll come back to you. I promise."

Mona Lisa summoned every ounce of courage she had in her and leaned up to press a passionate kiss to the turtle's lips. Raph's cheeks went pink. And after Mona pulled away he was left gaping at her like a gob-smacked codfish. Mona blushed and giggled at his expression. The sound of her laughter made him smile. He stared affectionately down into her eyes and tilted her head up. "That's what I like to see."

Mona's tail reached up and poked the turtle in the side. Raphael tensed up like a cat in a dog pound. His brilliant green eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't. you. **dare**." He growled.

The lizard mutant smirked and tackled him to the ground where he landed with a loud thud. She ran her fingers up and down his sides rapidly and his raucous laughter erupted, booming through the room.

Thirty seconds later the door burst open to reveal three concerned turtle brothers on the other side. But when they registered what was actually going on in front of them gentle smiles lit their faces.

Leonardo had to fight to stifle his own laughter as he spoke. "What's going on in here?"

Mikey smiled brightly, "I think that's pretty obvious, bro." The youngest smiled at Mona. Then his smile turned into a smirk and he cracked his knuckles before stepping forward. "Step aside, little sis, and leave this to the masterful Dr. Prankenstein!"

Mona laughed. Actually laughed out loud. And it was the most beautiful sound Raphael had ever heard. He'd never smiled so wide in his entire life as he did at that moment. He couldn't even bring himself to yell threats at Michelangelo as the youngest turtle began to tickle him even more. Eventually even Leonardo joined in on the younger turtles' and the lizard's antics.

About a minute later, they were all brought back to reality by the sound of someone clearing their throat. "Um…guys, I hate to break up the moment, but we really do need to get going."

Mona's smile was wiped clean off her face and Raph sent Donatello a glare before turning back to comfort the lizard mutant. "Mona, everything will be okay."

She wrapped her arms around Raph's middle and pressed she side of her head against his plastron. For a few moments she listened to the strong, steady beat of the heart beneath the scutes. The other turtles frowned lightly at the tender scene and how much Mona was affected by this. Leo put a hand on Mona's shoulder and she glanced up at him.

"It's okay Mona. We'll make sure he keeps that promise." Mona smiled gratefully at the eldest turtle. She pulled away from Raph and moved to hug Leo. Leo was so surprised that he didn't respond and Raph couldn't help but smile.

"And you guys say that I don't know to respond to hugs." He muttered as he rolled his eyes.

Leo sent Raph a glare over Mona's shoulder and returned the lizard mutant's hug. Raphael chuckled.

* * *

 **Bonus Chapter Add-on: The Mission Pt. 1**

Donatello did a little victory dance as he cracked the lock in less than ten seconds. Then someone pinched his arm…hard. "The shell, Raph?!"

The hothead chuckled. "Shut up, brainiac and get movin'." He motioned with his sais.

Don sighed and did as his brother asked. His dark brown eyes rolled with annoyance. Geez, Raph's in a crabby mood. He's probably just agitated because of what the scientists in this place did to Mona.

Less than ten minutes later alarms blared so loudly that it made the turtles' brains throb. Turns out it had merely taken a little while for the security system to detect the break-in at their entry point. They ran as quickly as they could through eerily pristine white hallways. Heavily armed guards wearing gleaming uniforms and bullet-proof vests were hot on their trail. Footsteps could be heard close behind them and the shadows of their pursuers danced across the walls.

Raph glared over at Donatello as they ran. "Something tells me they've tightened security since the last time we came."

Don gave him a look of supreme annoyance. "Gee, ya think?"

The turtles were now running for their lives. Because if they got caught here, in all likelihood, they'd be here for the rest of their lives, undergoing horrid operations and heartless experiments, just as Mona Lisa had for who-knows-how-long.

They turned down a particularly long, straight hallway. Donnie immediately spoke up. "The schematic I downloaded when I cracked the locks shows an exit this way.

Leo's eyes gleamed. "Then let's not risk staying here any longer. We need to leave. Now."

They all nodded. Mikey and Donnie were almost to the door when Raphael straightened. The hothead shoved Leonardo against the wall. "Look out!" The armored humans rounded the corner and opened fire. Raph had pushed Leo out of the way just in time and the two of them stood in a narrow recess, literally pressed against the wall. A plasma shot grazed Raph's cheek and he bit back a yell.

Donnie and Mikey, who by this point had also taken cover near the wall, peered around cautiously at their older siblings. The purple masked turtle saw the shot graze Raph's cheek and his eyes widened. He stepped slightly out from his hiding spot, "Plasma weapons? When did—" He never finished that sentence.

Raphael surged forward and shoved Donatello backwards out of the line of fire, catching a few shots in his carapace at the same time. Luckily for him it was nothing serious. "This is not the time, Donnie!" He scolded and Don had sense to shut up after that.

Leo carefully moved forward and began to herd his brothers further down the hallway towards the exit. He sent Donnie and Mikey ahead while he and Raph watched their backs and use their weapons to deflect or block and potentially dangerous shots. The two older siblings finally turned to follow their siblings, but the humans had other plans.

"We can't let them escape," a voice, probably their leader's, said, raising his gun and opening full fire on the ceiling above the turtles. Not long after a shower of plasma fire hit the ceiling and a low groan made them both look up.

Leo reacted first. "Raph!"

The red-masked turtle suddenly found himself being shoved to forward as the air filled with noise. As dust flew everywhere, he coughed and crawled forward. "Leo?" he called, quietly, his voice rough. He could feel his brother's hand and he traced it gently up to Leo's shoulder and rested a hand on the eldest turtle's head. "Leo. Come on, wake up!" No response. A flash of dread made Raph's hand begin to tremble. "Leo?" He asked, infinitely more timid.

"Raph." A voice rasped through the dust.

"Leo!" Raph tried to pull Leo out, but a hand on his plastron stopped him.

"No Raph. I'm trapped. I'm being held down by a pile of ceiling. I'm not injured, I can still feel my feet, but I can't get out."

Neon green eyes narrowed with determination as Raphael began to feel out the debris and peel it off of his brother. Again, a soft hand on his plastron stopped him cold in his tracks.

"Raph, there isn't time! You'll have to go on without me." He murmured softly.

The hothead bristled. "Like shell we are! Just hold still, I'll get you out of this."

Leo's hand grabbed Raph's wrist and squeezed it tightly before taking hold of the younger turtle's hand. "Please listen to me. Sensei told me that with the world at stake we must do whatever must be done. No matter what we have to sacrifice…or who. Please Raphael, for me, get our brothers to safety."

Neon green met sapphire blue and Raph saw something in his older brother's eyes he had hoped never to see: Fear.

The muscular emerald green turtle lay a hand on his older brother's shoulder. His only older brother… Those intense eyes of his never left Leo's even as he spoke. "I will come back of you."

Leo grinned almost tritely, as though he expected nothing less. "I know you will." Then his grin faded, "They're digging through the rubble, Raph. You need to go. Now!"

Raph nodded, staring into Leo's eyes one last time before withdrawing and turning away…without looking back.

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUN!**

 **I don't have much Leo angst in my stories because I know that there are a lot of moments in the show centering around his sacrifices for his team. But in this instance it led to the perfect setup for what I have planned next chapter…**

 **I know it's short, but if I'd combined it with the next chapter I just don't feel like it would have had the same impact...**

 **So…how was it? Review Please? What was your favorite part?**


	21. Eye for an Eye

**Okay. If you thought last chapter was a lot to take in…think again. Enjoy and please bear with me. AGH!**

 **PS. A little bit of objectionable language in this chapter. (one word, actually) Nothing to worry about. If you don't like it, just substitute a cleaner synonym.**

* * *

 **Ch. 21-Eye for an Eye**

When Raph reached the end of the hall where Donnie and Mikey were waiting he shoved them forward.

"What about Leo?" Don asked concernedly.

Raphael grit his teeth. "Just keep moving, brainiac!"

"We can't leave Leo behind!" Mikey said, panicked, as he tried to turn back.

The red-masked turtle grabbed Mikey's arm hard enough to leave a bruise as he held the youngest back. His neon green eyes were flat and sparkles as he commanded coldly. "Keep moving, Michelangelo."

Tears tumbled down freckled green cheeks as Raph shoved him towards the exit.

 _Leo…_

* * *

As soon as they got to the Shell Raiser, Raph began raiding his weapons stash in the back of the vehicle. He put on his shoulder straps and immediately began filling them with shuriken and smoke bombs. Finally the hothead stuck his kama into the holsters and turned to face his younger siblings.

Donatello regarded Raph curiously as he moved about Shell Raiser gathering weapons. But when Raphael turned to them with fire in his eyes Donatello knew exactly what his older brother was doing. His brown eyes flashed. "You can't go alone. We're brothers, we stick together."

Raph refused to meet his gaze. "I promised Leo I'd get you guys out okay." The hothead lowered his focus to a point on the floor. "Well, I've done that. Stay here. Stay safe. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, or if the guards come searching down this alley—"

"Raph, don't even say it. We go together or you don't go at all." Don stated with his hands on his hips.

"Nice try, Don." Raph said grimly. "I think we both know that you won't be able to stop me." His neon green eyes glinted dangerously. "And I'd rather not waste any more time on this argument. I'm going in to get our brother back. You wanna help? Stay here." The hothead shoved his way past Donatello, only to come face to face with Michelangelo. "Mikey, please move."

"Donnie's right, Raph, we can't let you go alone!" There were tears in Mikey's baby blue eyes.

An emerald green hand landed on Mikey's shoulder. "Trust me, little brother. I've got a plan."

There was a long moment of silence as the orange and red-clad brothers stared at each other. Donnie's hands clenched into fists as Mikey tensed. But they immediately fell open again as Mikey stepped to the side and let Raphael go. It wasn't until about thirty seconds after Raph left that Donnie recovered enough to ask, "Mikey—what are you DOING? Raph—"

"—has a plan, Don. We need to have faith in him."

* * *

 **Raph's POV**

I swiftly navigated my way back into the building. I passed an open door with little to no thought, but then doubled back and ducked inside as I realized what it was. It was a security room with several monitors and images from the hall cameras. Okay…not originally part of the plan, but this works. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out how to playback the footage. I watched as those guys in tech-armor lifted my brother out of the debris. Leo put up a fight of course. Rage exploded from within me as I saw one of them corner and inject my big brother with some kind of drug. I growled.

But my anger was cut short by footsteps approaching the door. I ducked into the shadows, my eyes going white. A man stepped in and the door slid closed behind him. The footage I had been watching suddenly fizzled and began playing in a loop.

"What the—?" He muttered. In this position his back was to me. Good.

I shot forward and pinned him flat to the console with an arm behind his back, threatening to snap it. He cried out and I pressed a knee against his back, holding him down. "You'll shut up if you know what's good for you." My other arm brought my sai up to his line of sight. "Now you listen real carefully buddy, because I'm only gonna ask this once." I tightened my grip on his arm and he whimpered.

"O-O-Okay! Okay!"

"Where's the turtle?"

"The turtle?!" He parroted, his voice filled with fear.

I pulled away and slammed him back into the table. "The turtle! Where is he?! Where have they taken him?!"

He groaned and grimaced, trying to twist away from my grip. I brandished my sai. "Don't make me use this." He shuddered. "Tell. Me. NOW!"

"Alright, alright! He's in the East Lab! Two halls down from here, o-o-on the right!" He said, terror sparkling in his eyes.

I growled. "I hope you're telling the truth. Cause if you ain't," I turned him around and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, tossing back against the table, "I'll come back to get ya!"

He blanched. I grabbed my sai and turned it around, hitting him over the head with the butt. Not enough to kill him. Just enough that he won't be sounding the alarms any time soon. I dragged him off to the side, behind a table, that way it would be a while before anyone discovered him.

I followed his instructions, and found myself in front of a door where scientists were rapidly coming and going, with astonished looks on their faces. That had to be it. Right around the corner from where I'm standing now.

There were two of those tech guards in the entryway. Damn.

I glanced further down the hallway I was in. Hmm. Is that…a fuse box? Sure looks like it. Hm. I made my way over to it. Locked. Well that can be easily remedied. I pulled an old paperclip from my belt and shoved it into the lock. I'd always been good with locks. At least, the old fashioned ones. When it came to electronic ones, Don was the expert. I opened the fuse box and wasted no time in crossing two of the wires, shorting out the electricity. Fortunately for me it was exactly what I'd hoped, the fuse box controlled all the lights in the area, and now that it was out of commission. It made it that much easier for me to get my brother back.

I back-tracked around the corner and wasted no time in sneaking up on the guards and knocking them out. I used their identification to get into the lab. The scientists were all standing still.

"Bob, have you figured out why the lights went out?" Someone asked.

"No, I'm sorry Brenda, but it seems there's been a blackout." The guy named Bob replied.

"Aren't their back-up generators for this place?" A different voice asked.

One of them somehow got their hands on a flashlight. They moved it around the room and I caught a brief glance of the scientists' faces. They were all standing around a table, and on it was… "Leo!" I whispered quietly, unfortunately not quietly enough.

"What was that?" Bob asked. Moving the flashlight around.

"I didn't hear anything." The one I now knew as Brenda asked.

"What about the freak, is he secure?" Okay, I definitely do not like that last guy. Nobody talks about my brothers like that. My mind is made up. That guy goes down first. I moved with all my ninja prowess through the darkness, coming up behind the guy who just spoke. I knocked him out and dragged him to the side.

"Did you hear that?" The one called Brenda asked, glancing around frantically.

I watched silently from the side as Bob nodded. "Don't move. Joe, same goes for you." I struck again, this time taking Brenda into the darkness. "Joe?" Bob asked. "Joe?" He repeated nervously as whirled around, flashlight in hand.

I stood directly behind him and when he finally whirled around to face me he shrunk back. "Joe can't answer you." I growled dangerously.

Bob stared at me in awe. "Who—who—you can—speak?" He stammered.

I glared and stalked forward until he was cornered against the wall. He held up the flashlight threateningly. "Don't come any closer!"

I smiled and easily knocked the flashlight out of his hands. Then I grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground. "Now you listen to me. You're lucky that I'm not in the mood to do much more than knock you guys our. But if you ever, EVER harm one of my brothers again, I will kill you. Understand?"

Bob nodded frantically.

"Good." I stated before conking him over the head and knocking him out. I glanced around briefly and made sure they were all completely unconscious. Then I ran to the table and took in Leo's current state. I carefully removed all the tubes and needles they'd attached to his arms. I shook him gently. "Leo…Leo…Leo…"

All I got in reply was a groan. Worry creased my brow and I lifted him into my arms. I glanced around, looking for the best way out. Probably not the way I came. They'll be expecting that. I looked all around. There was no other way out except an air vent. It was about wide enough for the two of us, if Leo was laid out on my carapace. That'll have to do.

I made my way over to it and yanked it out of its spot. Then I shook Leo gently. "Leo."

He groaned and his eyes opened into narrow slits.

"I need you to wrap your arms around my neck and hold on. Okay?" I was afraid that he wouldn't understand me, but I crouched and he did as I asked. It was difficult, but after a while I was finally able to pull myself into the vent. I reached back and pulled the grate back into the place. Doing the army crawl with the added weight of my older brother on my back was a grueling task, but I was determined to keep going. It took me almost fifteen minutes to lug Leo and myself through that air vent to the outside.

My thirty minutes were almost up. I could hear the alarms beginning to ring through the building.

I lost all regard for subtlety as I literally kicked the grate off that lead to the outside and jumped out, pulling Leo back up into my aching arms. I have to get to the Shell Raiser before Donnie and Mikey leave.

Leo groaned, breaking my focus and I looked down at him. "R-Raph?" He asked, his voice weak.

"Shut up, Fearless, I'm rescuing you! You did ask me to do that, remember?"

He smiled. "Yeah…I remember." He closed his eyes and sighed.

I turned back to the task at hand. "Hang in there, big brother." I told him as I climbed a fire escape and began to run all the way back to the Shell Raiser.

And somehow, despite the added weight of my older brother, I managed to run faster than I had ever run in my entire life.

When I dropped down into the Shell Raiser, the engine was already running. Just in time. They'd been about to leave.

My younger brothers jumped in shock as I 'dropped' in.

"Raph!" They exclaimed, both of them sounding relieved. Then they saw the form in my arms. "LEO!" Donnie rushed over and took Leo from me. I nodded at him and ran to the driver's seat.

"Everybody hold on!" I yelled to them as I threw her in gear and rocketed off down the alley and away from that horrible lab.

 _Phew. That was too close._

* * *

 **Rouge's POV**

I wasn't going to go back. But they called me and told me something that gave me no other choice. They'd captured another mutant freak. A male. A turtle, they said. Since it was specifically my area of research they asked me to come back. I told them that I'd come and take a look.

But by the time I got there the alarms were blaring and the freak was gone. They couldn't even manage to keep him captive for more than an hour. The imbeciles. That idiot Bob said that another freak had come to spring him out. So…the freaks are banding together. Then something in the room caught my eye. The grate on the vent was loose.

Hmm…so. They really think they can get away that easy?

I rapidly made my way up to the roof and across the building where that vent came out. This way I could have a bird's eye view. I reached into my shoulder bag and pulled out my mask and utility belt, quickly putting them on. Less than five minutes later there was a loud thud and the grate of the vent came flying off. I watched with narrowed eyes as a red-masked turtle freak emerged, then lifted the blue-masked one into his arms. The blue one seemed to be drugged. So the blue one was the captive and red one the savior. How pathetic.

"R-Raph?" The blue one murmured.

"Shut up, Fearless, I'm rescuing you! You did ask me to do that, remember?" The red one grumbled, seemingly focused on figuring out which way to go from here.

"Yeah, I remember." Blue replied meekly.

Then the red one's eyes locked on a fire escape across the way and he said something I never expected to hear:

"Hang in there, big brother."

My eyes widened and for a few moments I stared in shock. _A whole_ _ **family**_ _of freaks?_

I slowly overcame the shock and my eyes narrowed dangerously: _Not if I have anything to say about it._

I jumped after the two turtles, determined to follow them back to their home, where I would obliterate them. I watched as the turtles got into some kind of huge vehicle and I reached onto my utility belt, grabbed a little device and threw it at the giant car, truck thing. I took out my phone. One press of a button and I could see track everywhere they went. My blood red lips bent into a smirk.

Gotcha.

* * *

 **Don's POV**

Wouldn't you know it? We're less than twenty minutes from home, in the old abandoned subway tunnels, and what happens? The Shell Raiser breaks down. Dammit! I knew I should have given her a tune up two weeks ago, but I just couldn't find the time and now…Urgh.

I gave Leo a drug that should counter-act whatever those scientists gave him. In short, he's feeling sick to his stomach at the moment, but he's awake at least. Awake and aware. And able to walk, thankfully, so we won't have to carry him back to the lair. When he asked how long it had been since he was captured, I had no choice but to tell him the truth.

Let's just say that Raph is definitely getting a lecture when Leo gets better. After all, he meant for us to come back for him, not for Raph to go storming in there all on his lonesome. But, I don't think Leo will be able to reason with Raph much. Because, implausible as it seems, Raph's hotheaded and impetuous plan to break Leo out actually worked.

Much as I hate to say it, we're going to have to leave the Shell Raiser here and walk the rest of the way. Unfortunately.

We'd been walking for about two minutes when Raphael stopped and glanced behind us. I raised an eye-ridge at him, but he brushed me off. Mikey and I were helping Leo walk and Raph was scouting ahead, so we all noticed the strange look on Raph's face. About two minutes later he did it again, only this time, Leonardo tensed as well.

I caught the look in their eyes. Aw shell. We're being followed.

Leo brought his hands in front of him and said 'sewer' in hand signals. Raph nodded.

Good. This is a good plan. With Leo down, we can't really risk a fight, especially since we don't know who the enemy is. Maybe we can ditch whoever it is in the sewers.

We wandered around the sewers for almost twenty minutes, and I could already tell that those drugs were really beginning to take their toll on Leo. But our pursuer was still hot on our trail. All the attempts we made to ditch them failed.

I thought maybe it was possible that they were tracking us. Wait a second…what if they placed a tracking device on Leo? I immediately whispered my suspicions to my brothers and they all tensed.

"So what do we do?" Raph asked, sounding concerned.

Leo's eyes narrowed and he straightened as much as was able to. _Always the leader_ , I thought with a sigh. "We go to the tunnel junction where we first washed Xever and Bradford away. Maybe we can trick him into revealing himself."

All of us nodded.

* * *

 **Mikey's POV**

I don't know who's following me and my bros, but I certainly hope it isn't any of those tech-armored guard dudes. We got to the tunnel junction and got all set up. Leo and Donnie ducked into the shadows of the tunnels and Raph and I sank into the water. We watched from below as a dark figure approached the water. If it weren't for the white lab coat and blue gloves, we might not have been able to see him at all.

I looked at Raph and he nodded. We rose out of the water slowly, letting it drip off our shells.

I saw Raph's hands tighten around his sais. I smiled and pulled my nunchucks from my belt.

"Who the shell are you?" Raph growled menacingly.

He—er— _she_ laughed and it made me shudder. "You're worst nightmare." She growled.

Raph smirked. "I doubt that." He replied cheekily, immediately throwing himself at her. She dodged one blow, but the other hit her right in the stomach and sent her flying backwards. "Worst nightmare, huh? I ain't feeling too scared." He said with a smirk.

The mystery woman stood and clenched her fists. "You should be, Freak! All my years of research, all my experiments, I have one goal and one goal only! To obliterate all Freaks! Starting with the little lizard who ruined my life!" She shouted angrily, lashing out and putting some distance between them.

Raph's eyes went wide and he stepped back. But it wasn't her actions that had stunned him. "Lizard?...Mona Lisa." He whispered. He glanced over at me and then over in the direction where Leo and Donnie were hiding. I nodded and my eyes narrowed.

Now we definitely had to do something about this chick. Because there is now way I'm gonna stand by and let her hurt my sister! Well, she's not really our sister, but you get what I'm saying.

The woman's eyes narrowed. "You know where she is." It wasn't a question. She must have realized from our expressions that we knew exactly who she was talking about. "You will tell me."

Raph snarled. "Never."

"Leave my family alone!" Another voice interjected.

Raph and I both tensed as Leo emerged from his hiding spot, Don doing the same not long after. Leo's still kinda drugged up. He's in no condition to fight!

My big brother jumped down to stand between me and Raph. Both of us curled inward protectively, but he pushed past us to stand across from the human. Raph and I exchanged nervous glances.

"You harm them…I kill you." Leo growled.

My eyes widened. I've never heard Leo threaten anybody like that before.

She laughed. "I never would have guessed this was possible, you know. A whole family of freaks! Well let me tell you something, Blue." She sighed goadingly. I suddenly realized what she was trying to do. She was trying to get Leo to come at her. "I will kill each and everyone of them." Leo growled at her, but she went on. "I will make them suffer." The muscles in Leo's hands and legs tensed, as his lips pulled back into a snarl, still she went on. "And I will make you watch." She spat, emphasizing every word, to make it even more biting.

Leo let out a battle cry and his eyes went white. He was unarmed, since his katanas had been taken when he was captured. She smirked as he charged her and I knew something horrible was about to happen. I tried to move forward, but my body wouldn't respond. All I could do was watch the scene playing out before me.

Leo was fast.

 _But Raph was faster_. My red-masked bro had seen exactly what I saw: She was baiting Leo. She wanted Leo to react. And Leo did. He came down on her like thunder.

But Raph was lightning. Colors swirled together as Raph lunged forward, shoving Leo out of the way just in time. There was a horrible crackling sound and Raph screamed.

That scream plunged all of us into complete panic mode. That wasn't a cry of pain. That wasn't a yell. That was a scream. Raph had never screamed like that before. Not even when he saw a cock-roach. This was a scream of agony. Then, the weapon repelled him and sent him flying up to the second level where the turn valve for the water was.

"Raph!" I called out desperately. But he didn't answer.

She jumped up to the landing where Raph was now unconscious and bent down to grab onto his carapace.

We immediately jumped up beside her, even Leo, who I could tell was already blaming himself for Raph getting hurt.

"Don't touch him!" My eldest brother yelled angrily.

She chuckled and turned the wheel that let all the water come through, creating a whirlpool on the level beneath us.

Leo glared at her. "What did you do to him?" He demanded.

She chuckled again. "It's just one of my little toys. Electric shock pistol. Gives the target enough electricity to destabilize the heart and kill with a single shot."

Fire filled Leo's eyes as he began to stalk forward angrily. I reached out and held him back, but he glared at me desperately. I let go of his wrist. Injured or not, there was no dissuading him.

The chick was stronger than she looked. Freakishly strong. She hoisted Raph up by his carapace and held him threateningly over the water. We all froze.

She stared directly into Leo's eyes. "Each and every one of them, Freak. Don't forget it." We watched in horror as her fingers unclasped and Raphael's unconscious form plummeted down.

"Raph, no!" Leo jumped off and I jumped after him, grabbing his legs. I felt Donnie struggling as he suddenly found himself supporting all of our weight.

Leo reached out, but it wasn't enough. He missed Raph by less than half a foot. "NOOOOOOOOO!" He wailed.

I could feel the tears in my eyes. _Raphie!_

Then, from deep inside of me a dark flurry of anger came rushing out. Donnie had just barely set me down on the metal grating when I flew at the mystery woman. "You bitch!" I screamed furiously. "You killed my brother!"

She lifted some sort of weapon, but I knocked it out of her hand and went at her with all the strength I had in me. With a ferocious battle cry I unsheathed my bladed hook and brought it down on her, not fully realizing what I was doing.

She screamed and shoved me backwards, her hand coming to her face to cup her left eye, which was now covered in blood. I was about to go after her again, when both of my brothers wrapped their arms around me.

"Don't Mikey." Leo said evenly into my ear. "She doesn't deserve it." His eyes narrowed and I saw a reflection of my own dark fury. "Having to live as a one-eyed Freak will be a much more fitting punishment. Let her suffer."

I considered his words for a few moments before I nodded. I was about to throw down a smoke bomb, but I paused as she began to speak.

"I will get you for this. I will kill you. All of you! I swear it!"

Donnie turned around to glare at her. "Then we'll just have to kill you first." He replied smoothly.

I threw down the smoke bomb and we all rushed away.

Donnie scanned Leo for any tracking chips or devices and there were none. He says that if its not on Leo then it must be on the Shell Raiser.

But we'll worry about that later. Right now, we have to go back to the lair. We have to report to Master Splinter. We have to tell him about… _Raph_. My shoulders droop and tears run down my cheeks. _Raphie…_

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up.

"I would have thought you'd be the last of us to lose hope, Mikey." He murmured.

I just looked away and shrugged his hand off. He pulled me into a hug. I tried to worm away, but he wouldn't let me. He whispered in my ear. "Trust me, little brother. Raphael is strong. He's alive out there somewhere. I can sense it. We just have to find him."

I nod absently, hoping beyond hope that my big brother is right.

 _Of course Leo's right._ I tell myself. _Leo's always right_. I lie to myself.

Then I straighten with renewed determination.

 _Don't worry Raphie. We'll find you. I promise._

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Did you like it? What was your favorite part? Review Please! :)**


	22. The Wrong Name

**Hey guys. Sorry this took so long. Been a little more busy with school and other projects lately. But here it is! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ch. 22-The Wrong Name**

The turtles' shoulders drooped, their heads were bowed and their feet dragged as they shuffled down the stairs and through the turnstiles. Donatello had one of Leonardo's arms draped over his shoulders, supporting the older turtle.

Michelangelo trailed behind, constantly looking back over his shoulder, mournfully. He couldn't stop thinking about the fact that their brother was probably lying unconscious and beaten in some tunnel miles away.

It wasn't long before the heard the sound of the dojo door sliding open. Their eyes moved lethargically up from the ground and over to their father.

"My sons! It is very late. Mona Lisa was—" Splinter stopped short as he saw the tears gathered in the corners of Leonardo's eyes. The old rat's heart plummeted to his stomach. The other turtles all wore similar expressions and dread crept its way into Splinter's eyes.

A lime green figure swept over to Master Splinter's side. Leonardo tore his gaze away. He couldn't look Mona in the eyes. He' d failed. He'd failed Raphael and therefore he had failed Mona Lisa.

Then came the dreaded question. "My sons…where is Raphael?"

Nobody answered. Donnie and Leo lowered their eyes. Mikey threw himself into Master Splinter's arms, sobbing. The old rat stood straight as a board before slowly wrapping his arms around his youngest child, terrified beyond belief.

"We were being followed after we left the base, Sensei. She—she attacked us in the sewers. Raph jumped in front of me and—" Leo's voice cracked.

Mona Lisa shot forward, grabbed Leonardo by the shoulders and shook him roughly, fighting to meet his gaze. When he finally looked down into her eyes, he could no longer hold back. "Mona…I—I'm so sorry."

Tears began to pour down her face. She shook her head, her eyes pleading with Leo, begging him to say it wasn't true. She keened in devastation as Leo's expression remained the same. The lizard mutant fell to her knees, her shoulders shaking violently with the force of her sobs. Leo acted completely on instinct. He dropped down beside her and pulled her tenderly into his arms. She clung to him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder. He pulled always slightly and looked straight down into her eyes. "We'll find him Mona. I promise. He's alive. I know he is."

"Leonardo." Sensei murmured softly, prompting the eldest to look up at him. "Tell me everything, my son."

"Hai Sensei." Leonardo whispered. Mona Lisa didn't pull away, instead she curled up to lean against his plastron, tucking her head under his. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as he began relaying the story to his father. Leo purposely omitted the fact that the strange woman who had followed them and hurt Raphael was somehow connected to Mona Lisa. She was already upset enough as it was. And if Leo's suspicions were correct, telling the lizard mutant that this scientist had some kind of vendetta against her would only scare her even further.

Leo got to the part where the vigilante woman dropped Raph into the torrent of sewage and Mona Lisa cringed, her eyes wide and filled with tears. "Nnn—Nn—N—No…"

Leonardo jerked away, staring down into her eyes, in shock. They had all gradually gotten used to her making noises and sometimes even humming to herself, but she hadn't said any words other than 'daddy'…until now.

Master Splinter lowered his gaze to the floor. "That is what I was going to tell you when you came in, my sons. Mona Lisa has slowly begun mimicking words."

Leo practically crushed the lizard mutant in a turtle-hug, smiling. Mona blinked confusedly up at him. The blue-masked turtle tipped her head up and looked down into her eyes. "Raph will be so proud when he finds out."

Mona grinned back and returned Leo's embrace. There was nothing conditional about Leo's statement. It was 'will' not would have been and 'when' not it. That certainty was more reassuring than anything else. Because it meant there was still a chance. Mona Lisa nodded to herself. They would find Raphael. They just had to.

* * *

A few days passed. Leo, Donnie and Mikey spent day and large portions of the night out in the sewers searching for their missing sibling. Unfortunately for them, the sewers were just as extensive as the city above, sometimes even more so. They had a lot of ground to cover and they were determined to get to their brother before anyone else could.

Mona Lisa had been having nightmares. She wouldn't really talk about them, but from what she did let slip, it sounded as though they all involved Raph being sucked down into the sewer. They had all done their best to comfort her and keep her company, but unfortunately none of them were able to, not even Mikey. When she could, it seemed as though she gravitated towards Leo because, despite his awkwardness, he offered her strong physical reassurance with little to no questions asked.

On the fifth night, Mona's nightmares must have been particularly gruesome, because she left her room and walked down the hall to knock on the blue-masked turtle's door. He opened it and stared sleepily at her.

There were tears in Mona Lisa's eyes. She sniffled. "L-L-L-Leo…" The lizard mutant whimpered and shot forward. Leo stiffened, his arms coming to wrap around her automatically as his mind ran wild.

He blinked away his own tears and shook his head. _It shouldn't be me. This shouldn't be me. The first name off her lips…and it's mine. It should have been Raph's not mine…not mine._

* * *

Miles away, a dark, bulky figure darted swiftly about the sewers scavenging for anything that might be considered useful metal material. But he stumbled on something very different. He tripped over it, but managed to catch himself before he fell. He turned around, about to kick whatever-it-was out of the way for good measure. When he looked down, however, he froze in his tracks and fell to his knees. He wasted no time in turning the body, which he now realized was very familiar, over.

Emerald green eyelids were closed. His body was limp and cold, his mask was missing. He looked…dead.

Fear welled up inside the large, shadowy figure and he immediately pressed a huge finger against the emerald green turtle's neck. There was a pulse. Slow and barely detectable, but there none the less. The pipes creaked and the figure glanced warily from side to side. With no further ado, he scooped the injured turtle up in his arms and headed back the way he'd come at high speed, his previous reason for being in the sewers completely forgotten. The emerald green turtle needed help. Help that the larger being carrying him could not provide. Two eyes beamed softly and concernedly down at the injured, sullied, waterlogged, form in his arms. Raphael needed help fast.

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Review Please! What was your favorite part?**


	23. Mona Meets the Mighty Mutanimals

**Yeah, I know. This chapter came fast. I actually wrote half of it last night, and so today I finished it off. Here you go! Enjoy! Hope you like it!**

* * *

 **Ch. 23-Mona Meets the Mighty Mutanimals**

Leatherhead glanced repeatedly down at the turtle in his arms as he ran back to the Mighty Mutanimals' lair. He probably should have headed for the turtles' lair, but that was practically all the way across the city. There was no telling how much longer the turtle was going to last without medical care, so in the end the alligator mutant decided to double back.

He rushed into the old water monitoring and testing plant that they'd been using as their lair for the past couple months. It had been closed over a year ago and it was large enough for the four of them. Leatherhead burst in so quickly that Rockwell jumped to his feet and spat out some of the soda he had been drinking to prevent himself from choking. Pigeon Pete squawked in shock.

"Leatherhead! Just what do you think you're—" The monkey genius stopped short as he realized exactly what—or who—Leatherhead had in his arms.

"Whoa, is he okay?" Pigeon Pete asked, hopping over towards the alligator mutant to look down at Raphael. Leatherhead growled and Pigeon Pete jumped backwards, several feathers floating slowly to the ground behind him.

Rockwell's lip pushed out into a frown as he briefly glanced over the injured turtle. His eyes narrowed. "Put him down."

Leatherhead did exactly that without hesitation. If there was anyone who could be trusted with the care of the injured turtle, it was Rockwell.

The monkey's expression was grave as he glanced back up at Leatherhead. "I'll take him into my lab and do everything I can."

The alligator mutant's eyes softened as he nodded. "I know you will, my friend."

Doctor Rockwell used his telekinesis to lift the emerald green turtle up and carry him into his lab. The turtle was breathing heavily, practically gasping for air, so he gave him a respirator and attached him to a heart monitor just to be safe. Once that was done and the turtle was stable, the monkey mutant returned briefly to the main room.

Leatherhead was still there since only about a minute had passed. Good. Rockwell needed to talk to him. "Leatherhead."

The alligator turned to him.

"Have you…" Suddenly, the genius faltered a little. "Have you told him yet?"

Leatherhead's pupils narrowed. "No. I have not."

Rockwell sighed. "I know it will be hard for him, but tending Raphael's injuries will require all my concentration. No doubt he will be worried, but tell him that he must stay out of the lab until I come out and tell him otherwise."

It was obvious to Rockwell that Leatherhead was not very comfortable with that. Even so, the alligator nodded and Rockwell knew that Leatherhead would keep his word. He nodded his gratitude and returned to the lab for what promised to be several hours of very delicate analysis and first aid.

* * *

With a sigh, the broad-shouldered alligator mutant rose to his full height and headed down the hall. He stopped outside a door and knocked twice.

"Come in." A raspy voice called from within.

Leatherhead took a deep breath before pushing his way inside. It was pitch black inside and the alligator's pupils dilated at the change. "Slash?"

"Yeah, what do ya need?" The turtle asked gruffly. He'd been a little bit off all day. The lights snapped on to reveal the large, bulky-shelled turtle standing by the switch.

"You might want to sit, my friend."

That simple sentence had Slash on full alert. Over the past few months he'd learned the alligator's mannerisms and voices really well. Right now, both were disconcerting. His eyes widened as he turned to Leatherhead questioningly.

"I was out looking for metals that Rockwell might be able to melt down for his experiments." Leatherhead made direct eye contact with the giant turtle.

Slash stiffened uncomfortably at that look. Then his eyes narrowed. "Spit it out, LH."

"I stumbled over…" Leatherhead averted his eyes. "Raphael."

The mutagen colored eyes snapped up to the alligator's face, suddenly filled with emotion. "What do you mean you stumbled over him?" He asked with an eye-ridge raised, growing increasingly on edge.

Leatherhead put a hand on Slash's shoulder. "Raphael was unconscious. Barely alive. I literally stumbled over him. I was going to take him back to the turtles' lair, but I wasn't certain he would last that long. Rockwell is in the lab tending to his injuries now. Rest assured my friend, he is in good hands." All through Leatherhead's explanation, Slash's eyes were growing wider and wider, filling with panic. LH had barely finished his last sentence when Slash rushed for the door. The alligator caught the turtle's shoulder. "I'm sorry my friend. Rockwell says that he will require absolute focus. You will not be able to see Raphael until he is finished."

Slash's fists clenched and he growled. "Tell me how bad it was."

"Slash, I do not think that is a good—"

"Tell me." The turtle insisted.

Leatherhead sighed and closed his eyes. "He was pale and dirty. His pulse was barely detectable. His arms, neck, and feet sported nasty looking burns. Judging from the location where I found him and the state of his elbow and kneepads, he'd been tossed into the sewer somewhere near the turtles lair and was washed all the way down here."

Slash's eyes went white with fury. "I'll destroy whoever did this." He grabbed his mace and made to leave the room, but Leatherhead held him back.

"No. Think about this, Slash. Without any knowledge of what happened your efforts will be fruitless!"

"Well, I can't just sit around here and do nothing!" Slash yelled.

"Then don't." LH murmured.

The black masked turtle froze and turned to face his second-in-command. As soon as he did, he realized what the alligator meant. "Someone needs to tell the turtles." Slash murmured. He nodded resolutely. "Alright. I'll go get them. You stay here. If Rockwell comes out with a report while I'm gone, call me immediately."

Leatherhead nodded his approval and his promise. "I will, my friend."

* * *

Slash moved faster than he had ever moved in his entire life, fueled mostly by the fact that Raphael was injured and he needed to get back to his lair as soon as this errand was complete. It also crossed his mind that Raphael's brothers might have an idea as to who had hurt the red-masked turtle, meaning that he could then proceed to give that very special person a very special beat down. Nobody hurts Raphael. Nobody. He could feel his eyes clouding with rage and he ran faster, trying to work off the excess anger.

He burst into the turtle lair and came beak to beak with someone…new. _Was she…a lizard?_ She shrunk away from him with a terrified stare. His gaze softened a little.

"Leonardo!" He called, turning expectantly towards the dojo, knowing that his voice would bring not only the leader, but the other turtles and Master Splinter out as well.

Just as he expected, they all came running.

Leonardo immediately detected Slash's confusion and then he realized what the source of that confusion was. He introduced them. "Slash, Mona. Mona, Slash."

Slash nodded, but other than that, he failed to really acknowledge her.

Mona shrunk back even more. This new turtle wasn't like the others. He was big, and dark. His shell was spiky and he was much more foreboding. She moved to hide behind Leonardo and the eldest turtle frowned a little.

Slash's eyes flashed as he cut to the chase. "Leo…Leatherhead found Raphael."

All three turtles tensed and leaned forward with anticipation.

"Is he alive?!"

Stunned by the reaction, all the larger turtle could do was nod. He cleared his throat. "Rockwell is fixing him up back at our lair. Leatherhead found him in the sewers not far from there." He stated, suddenly feeling a need to justify why they didn't take Raph here in the first place.

Oddly enough, both Leonardo and Master Splinter nodded their acceptance. Then their eyes narrowed. Leo was the first to speak. "We'll follow you back to your lair. We want to see him."

Slash shook his head. "No one can see him. Not until Rockwell is done."

"Donnie can help." Leo argued. "Besides, we're his family. Even if we can't see him right away, we're going to wait until we can."

The lizard mutant nodded her agreement. Leonardo took her hand in his and frowned. "Mona Lisa…You're staying here."

Everyone, with the exception of Slash, stared at the blue masked turtle as though he were crazy.

Mikey gawked. "What?! Are you loco homie? Mona's been just as worried about Raph as we were! We can't just leave her here!"

Donatello nodded. "For once…I think Mikey's right."

"Hey!" The youngest snapped. Don smiled.

Mona Lisa's fists clenched and she growled. 'I'm going.' She signed angrily, trying to push past Leonardo, but he caught her arm.

"No Mona. It isn't safe."

"What do you mean, Leonardo?"

The eldest turtle belatedly realized that he had been so preoccupied with their search for Raphael that he had never pulled Master Splinter aside to explain about the woman who had attacked them and her vendetta against Mona Lisa. He sighed. He didn't want to scare Mona Lisa, but he had to make her understand the danger. So he elaborated. "The woman that attacked us in the sewer…She said that she was going to kill us all 'starting with the little lizard that ruined her life'. She has some kind of vendetta against Mona Lisa."

Master Splinter's eyes narrowed and he bristled. "Why did you not tell me this before?!"

Mona Lisa's eyes went wide and she started to shake. Her eyes moved down to the scars on her arms and her eyes filled with tears. She chewed her bottom lip for a few moments before shaking her head and straightening her posture. After wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, Mona's dark brown eyes glared heatedly at Leonardo. 'I don't care. I'm going with you.'

The mutant rat sighed. "Leonardo, I'm afraid that we must take Mona Lisa with us. In light of this new information, leaving her alone in the lair is no longer a safe option. Especially if this woman who attacked you is still in the sewers."

"But Sensei, what if we run into her in the sewers?" Leo asked worriedly.

"Then we protect Mona Lisa." The rat answered, his eyes flashing gravely. "With our lives, if necessary."

All of the turtles nodded solemnly, even Michelangelo.

Slash raised an eye-ridge. It was obvious that the lizard mutant had been accepted into their family. The black-masked turtle knew that expression well. It was the look all of the turtles adopted when they were looking out for each other.

Slash's green eyes briefly studied the lizard mutant. She was small, a few inches shorter than Michelangelo. Her skin was a light lime green, with a cream-colored patch on her front and on the underside of her tail. There was also a dark-green patch that highlighted the middle of her back and ran down the top of her tail. She had long, brown hair that fell neatly about her face, and chocolate brown eyes.

Mona Lisa caught the giant turtle's inquisitive stare and she slowly sidled up to him. Slash tensed, unsure of what was going on.

The turtles watched carefully. Leonardo, in particular, was ready to jump in at any moment if Slash startled the lizard mutant or vice-versa.

Mona held a four-fingered hand up to Slash and he canted his head, glancing at the turtles for an explanation.

"She wants to compare features with you." Leo elaborated, slightly surprised by how comfortable the lizard mutant was with the giant, spiky-shelled turtle.

Slash slowly brought his hand up to hers, suddenly feeling very self-conscious as she began to look him up and down. She examined his hand first, noting that he had three fingers just like the other turtles. She seemed fascinated by his spiky shell. A lime-green hand reached out to touch one of the yellow spikes in his plastron, but he caught her wrist. Her eyes moved up to meet his gaze, and Slash was surprised to see that she wasn't afraid of him. Instead, her expression was one of simple surprise. Out of the corner of his eye, Slash saw that the turtles had tensed a little. He let go of her wrist. "They're sharp." He murmured.

Mona Lisa nodded her understanding and pulled her hand away.

Master Splinter broke the resulting silence. "My sons, we should get going."

"Hai Sensei." They chorused.

* * *

Slash was in the lead, the turtles, their father, and Mona Lisa not far behind as they made their way swiftly and silently through the sewers. After the first couple miles, he turned to Michelangelo and muttered. "She's new."

The youngest turtle shrugged. "Not really. She's been with us a couple months. She's just new to you." Mikey said. Slash gave him a flat stare. The youngest turtle's eyes widened. "Oh. That's what you meant."

"So what's the story?" Slash asked.

Mikey frowned, making Slash raise a surprised eyebrow. Mikey whispered as they walked. "We rescued her from a human research facility. She was being…experimented on." An angry look flashed in Mikey's eyes, but soon vanished.

"And she doesn't speak?" Slash asked. He had noticed the way she communicated only with hand signals, yet the others seemed to know what she was saying.

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, Donnie thinks it's because of all the messed up things those humans did to her. She's started speaking a little bit though. Couple words here and there. I've been trying to teach her to say 'booyakahsa' but she hasn't really caught onto it yet."

"So…she's part of the clan now?"

The youngest turtle shrugged. "Kinda. Y' see, Splinter made Raph her guardian. The two of them got _really_ close. Now she's Raph's giiiiiiiiiiiiiirlfriend."

Slash sputtered in shock for a few moments before turning to glance back at the lizard mutant introspectively. She caught his eyes and for a few moments the two of them stared wonderingly at each other.

* * *

At the same time, Mona Lisa and Leonardo were having a conversation very similar, but about someone else. The lizard mutant glanced over at Leonardo and poked him in the arm. He turned to her worriedly, but she brushed off his concern and gestured, 'What about Slash?'

Leo raised an eye-ridge. "What about him?" He whispered.

'What is his story?' She asked, curiously.

The eldest turtle sighed and began to relay the full story to her. It was a condensed and abbreviated version that really only skimmed the surface, but it was enough for Mona Lisa. When he finished the tale, he glanced over at the lizard mutant, who now appeared to be absorbing everything he had said.

She tensed a little as she suddenly felt a gaze on her. She looked up and found Slash's eyes staring softly at her. Mona held his gaze for a few moments before quickening her pace and coming up by the larger turtle's side. Slash raised an eye-ridge at her sudden proximity, but quickly let it go as they finally neared his lair.

The black-masked turtle paused and turned back to them. "Not much farther." He said.

They all nodded and ran the rest of the way.

* * *

When they got there, they found Leatherhead and Pigeon Pete in the main room.

"Leatherhead!" Mikey crowed joyfully, bounding over and giving the alligator mutant a tight hug.

Leatherhead smiled. "Michelangelo." He rumbled returning the hug with fervor.

Mikey pulled away slightly and looked up into the mutant's big, green eyes. "You saved my brother, LH! I can't thank you enough!"

The alligator's eyes dulled. "I did what I could, my friends. But I'm afraid it is up to Rockwell to save Raphael's life."

Everyone shifted uncomfortably. Finally, Slash broke the silence. "Has he—"

"No. There has been no word."

The dark teal-skinned turtle closed his eyes and his shoulders drooped before he fell into a seating position.

Leatherhead frowned sadly at his friend and reached over to put a hand on the giant turtle's shoulder.

Slash jerked his shoulder away and clenched his jaw firmly.

Mona Lisa watched the exchange with intrigue. After what Leonardo had told her, she realized that Slash was just as worried about Raphael as the rest of them were. Her face softened and she slowly made her way over to him.

A four-fingered hand softly pressed against Slash's plastron, carefully avoiding the sharp, yellow spikes.

Mutagen green eyes swept slowly up from Mona's toes to her face. They held each other's gaze for a long time.

Slash had spent most of his life being a normal turtle. As such, he could communicate without the use of words. He knew how to express his thoughts through his eyes and actions. And from what he could tell, so did she.

The hand on his plastron moved to his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. _He'll be all right._

Slash met her gaze and stared solemnly. _That won't stop me from worrying._

 _I know._ She answered with a little nod. Then a frown spread across her face. _You aren't the only one who's worried._

The dark-skinned turtle smiled. _I know._ "Thank you, Mona Lisa."

She smiled and patted his shoulder. _You're welcome, Slash._

The other mutants glanced at the pair confusedly, but quickly shrugged it off.

All eyes were now on the lizard mutant as she pulled away from Slash and turned to Leatherhead. She pulled the giant alligator, who was more than twice her size, into a tight embrace and the other members of the Hamato clan stared in shock. She'd never taken to anyone that quickly before.

Leatherhead also looked very shocked, not merely by the hug, but by the new mutant herself.

Mona Lisa pulled away and quickly signed something to the alligator. He canted his head, confused. "What?"

Donatello stepped forward. "She says: Thank you for saving Raphael."

Leatherhead nodded sadly, wishing for the umpteenth time that he could have done more.

* * *

Once all of the greetings and introductions were complete, Donatello turned to Slash and LH. "I want to go in. I can help Rockwell."

"Rockwell said not to disturb him." Leatherhead rumbled.

Donnie glared with determination. "Raphael is my brother. I want to do everything in my power to help save him."

Slash sighed. "Go on in, but if Rockwell tells you to get out, do as he says."

Don's eyes narrowed. He didn't like that, but he knew that here he was under Slash's rules. He nodded. LH showed him the way to the lab and quickly left the turtle standing alone outside the matte grey door. He pushed the door open. It was quiet. Extremely quiet. And a little bit dark. He turned in the direction of the light and his mouth fell open. Shock and horror froze him to his spot as he beheld the injured, limp, and pale form of his immediate older brother. He gasped in spite of himself.

"I knew it wouldn't be long before you showed up."

Purple mask tails whipped behind him as the turtle whirled around, coming face-to-face with Dr. Rockwell. He sighed in relief and took his hands off his bō. "Rockwell."

"Donatello." The monkey acknowledged with a brief nod.

"What's his status?" The purple-masked turtle barely managed to choke out as he turned once more to his injured brother.

"Not good, as I'm sure you can see." Rockwell replied dryly. "The damage is extensive. I could work faster with an extra pair of hands."

Donatello heard Rockwell's words, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Raphael.

Rockwell noticed this and frowned. "That is, if you are able to stomach it."

Donatello took a deep breath and closed his eyes, breathing it out slowly. His brown eyes snapped open and darkened grimly. This was no time to let his emotions get the better of him. Not now. Not when Raphael needed him.

* * *

 **Bonus Chapter Add-on: Kids**

Outside, Michelangelo and Mona Lisa sat on the floor near Slash and Leatherhead. Master Splinter was about ten feet away, in a lotus position and appeared to be meditating. Leonardo was pacing up and down the room. Michelangelo's eyes followed his older brother from end of the room to the other relentlessly. Finally Mona Lisa sighed and jumped to her feet. She stomped frustratedly over to the oldest turtle and grabbed his arm, forcefully bringing him to a halt.

Leo's eyes were adorably wide as he stared at the female mutant in shock. "Mona? What—?"

She stared deep into his eyes, but couldn't get her point across so she sighed and pulled away. Leo resumed his pacing as Mona tried to come up with some other way to make him stop. Her eyes widened as a solution presented itself. She smirked.

Mikey watched the lizard mutant after she pulled away from Leo. It had been obvious to the youngest that Mona wanted the oldest turtle to stop pacing, but Leo was so beside himself with worry that he didn't get the message. A dark, mischievous smirk danced over Mona's lips. An evil smile spread over Mikey's countenance. He didn't know exactly what the lizard was planning, but whatever it was, Leo was never gonna see it coming.

Mona's shoulders hunched, she widened her stance and her tail lifted a little. Understanding finally dawned on the youngest turtle and he smiled from ear to ear.

Leo turned to change direction once again. The lizard shifted her weight a little, waiting for just the right moment…and…shoom! Leo struck the ground with a thud. His dark blue eyes stared dazedly up at Mona Lisa, who had him pinned to the floor. Everyone was now staring at them. Even Master Splinter opened his eyes to take in the scene before him.

Mona crossed her arms over her chest. She glared down at the shocked turtle for a few moments before gesturing heatedly. 'Stop it! You're just making it worse! Not to mention driving us crazy!'

Leo smiled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, blushing a little at the fact that everyone was staring and also at the position they were in. "Sorry. I didn't even realize I was doing it."

The lizard mutant rolled her eyes and peeled off of him. She offered her hand to help him up. He took it and stood. "Thanks Mona. You know…for…"

She put a hand on his shoulder, smiled and nodded.

Michelangelo jumped up between them and wrapped his around their shoulders. He beamed at them. "Yeah. Without you around he would have kept going until his legs gave out!"

Leonardo rolled his eyes and everyone laughed. Then the leader's eyes narrowed and he smirked. "Let's see how you like it!" He exclaimed, pouncing on the youngest. Mona giggled as the two turtles rolled around.

Slash and Leatherhead wore matching looks of amusement. And Master Splinter chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Kids."

Pigeon Pete watched them and sighed with a smile. "It reminds me of the good old days. Fighting with the other pigeons over breadcrumbs in the streets…ah…good times, good times."

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Did you like it? What was your favorite part?**

 **I was gonna end it after that part with Donnie in Rockwell's lab, but in the end I decided that I wanted to end it on a slightly lighter note.**


	24. Defying All Odds

**Sorry this took so long! I hope you haven't lost interest in this story! But here you are guys! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

 **Ch. 24-Defying All Odds**

Soft, brown eyes watched silently as Rockwell carefully wrapped the limp, emerald-green hand. Somehow, in everything that had happened, probably somewhere between getting tossed in the torrent and washed up near the Mighty Mutanimals' lair, Raphael had broken his hand. Luckily the break was relatively clean and no real damage had been caused.

The olive green turtle scoffed dryly as he made a rather bland observation. "At least we don't have to worry about the twenty-four hour survival period." There was always concern when it came to near drowning, one of the largest being the twenty-four hour survival period. Even after the initial drowning and survival, there were all kinds of factors to be taken into consideration and it was generally accepted that after the individual had gotten past the twenty-four hour survival period, the danger was not as immediate. Raphael had somehow managed to survive over five days in the sewers.

"Indeed. You are very fortunate. I don't imagine many would have been able to survive a situation like that one. The odds are—"

Donatello couldn't help but smile down at his injured sibling. "Yep. Raphael has defied more odds than anyone else I know."

"Perhaps you simply need to factor that into you calculations."

The purple masked turtle sighed. "I've tried…but I just can't get it."

Rockwell smiled and put a hairy hand on Donatello's shoulder. "Perhaps there are some things better left unexplained. We should simply be grateful he survived in the sewers as long as he did."

A pained frown crossed the brainiac's face as he glanced at his brother's beaten, unconscious state. "This is going to take a long time. Rockwell…" Don's voice broke and he stammered a little. "D-do you think he'll make it?"

The mutated monkey's hand squeezed the turtle's shoulder tightly. "He already has. We just have to help him get the rest of the way." Rockwell stated with absolute conviction.

Don's brown eyes widened, then narrowed with determination. He smiled and nodded. "You're right." He paused as he turned a scrutinizing gaze to the form on the table, assessing the injured turtle's current state. "Okay. You've got him on a respirator. How's his heart-rate?" He asked, turning to the heart monitor.

Rockwell went to the turtle's side. "It's evened out. When Leatherhead first brought him in it was weak and erratic."

"And it's improved?"

The monkey rolled his eyes a little at the repeated question, but humored the turtle and nodded. Then his eyes widened as some other important information came to mind. "Oh! And there doesn't appear to be any spinal damage, no neck or back injuries."

Don nodded, absorbing all of the information around him like a sponge. "Okay, good. So, minimal lung damage, no neck or spinal injuries…that's a good start." Donnie's lip pushed out worriedly. "What about brain damage?"

Rockwell's eyes narrowed and he frowned gravely. "He definitely has a concussion. He's definitely not in a comatose state, since he is breathing on his own, to an extent, but he's definitely in a deep state of unconsciousness. Who knows how long it will take before he snaps out of it."

"Leo experienced something similar after we were driven out of New York by the Krang. He was out for three months."

"Hmm…" Rockwell lowered his gaze. "There is not much that can be done about that."

"Agreed. Let's move on. What about his burns?"

"We must clean and wrap them as best we can. All that time in the sewers presents a high chance of severe infection. I tried to start cleaning them myself, but it is difficult to do without assistance."

Donatello nodded. "I have some antibiotic cream we can apply to the burns that will help a little, but we could get this done a lot faster if we had an extra pair of hands." The purple-masked turtle glanced over at Rockwell as though searching for approval.

Dr. Rockwell nodded without hesitation. "This may be my lab, but he is your sibling."

Don nodded again. "I'm gonna go get Master Splinter."

The monkey genius turned away, gathering supplies as he spoke. "I will get what we need. While you are there, you might want to give them a status report."

Donnie frowned. "I don't want to make them panic. They're worried enough as it is."

"But we have discovered many good things as well. The damage is certainly not as grave or as extensive as it could be."

"Okay. I'll try." Suddenly struck with nervousness, the purple-masked turtle slowly wandered to the door.

As he slowly made his way down the hall toward the main room his stomach clenched. He just knew what was going to happen. The minute he walked into the room they would all look up at him, expecting him to say that everything was going to be okay. But he couldn't exactly do that this time…

Because this time the only way to know if everything would be okay was to wait. It was an echo of when Leo was injured by Shredder, and Donatello felt utterly helpless. The only thing that was keeping him from freaking out was that he was just going to get Master Splinter.

He heard laughter echoing down the hall and he raised an eye-ridge.

 _What in the world?_

Brown eyes peered into the big room, and he blinked. Michelangelo and Leonardo were bickering. About what, goodness only knows.

Mona Lisa was sitting next to Slash, the two of them watching the oldest and youngest of the turtle siblings poking fun at each other. Pigeon Pete seemed to be disinterested, pecking at the ground, probably for breadcrumbs. Leatherhead appeared to be looking at Mona Lisa and Slash, thoughtfully.

Donatello pulled back, pressing himself against the wall and taking a deep breath before stepping out into the room with a calm face. He was surprised when they didn't react. Shifting nervously from foot to foot, Donnie cleared his throat.

Every head in the room shot up and turned to him. Heat rose in Donnie's chest and he suddenly choked on air.

Leonardo shot forward and began whacking his younger sibling on the back.

Once Don's coughs had died down and he was breathing normally again, Leo was the first to ask the question that was on all their minds. "Donnie! How's Raph?"

"Not good." The brainiac croaked.

Everyone tensed and stared worriedly at the purple-masked turtle, begging for elaboration.

Donnie sighed. He pushed Leo gently off to one side so that he could see their father, who was now standing at the back of the room. "Master Splinter, Rockwell and I need your help."

Master Splinter nodded and joined his second son.

Leo's hand snagged Don's shoulder just as the brainiac was about to turn away. "Donnie please…What is his status?"

Olive green shoulders drooped and he slowly turned to make eye contact with his older sibling. "Like I said before: not good. He has a bad concussion, a really bad concussion. Extensive burns covering his arms and legs, and some minor scorching on his shell. Minor bruises and cuts, a broken hand…" Donnie trailed off as he saw the horrified looks on all of their faces. "Uh…luckily there doesn't appear to be any brain damage. And his lungs are functioning, which is amazing considering he almost drowned and has been laying in the sewer for five days."

"How long before he's up and kicking?" Leo asked, earning him an admonishing glare from Donatello.

"As long as it takes. This is serious, Leo! We're lucky Raphael is alive!" Don poked Leo in the chest roughly and the eldest backed off. His shoulders drooped yet again and he whispered quietly, "Fortunately he's not completely dependent on the respirator, he is breathing on his own, but he's in a comatose state, the same way you were after your fight with Shredder's henchmen."

Leo went three shades paler. "Raphael…you mean…there's no way of knowing when he'll wake up?"

Donatello suddenly found the floor a very interesting place as he murmured. "That's exactly what I mean, Leonardo."

Suddenly a light-green figure pushed her way between the blue and purple-masked turtles. Don slowly looked up to meet her hard, determined, brown gaze. 'I want to see him.' She gestured sternly.

Don shook his head. "No. Dr. Rockwell and I need Master Splinter to help us wrap and clean all of Raph's wounds. Along with some other things. After that…we'll see."

Mona's eyes filled with tears and her confident posture melted into one of fear and pain. She put her hand on Don's shoulder. "D-D-Donnie…"

An olive-green hand came to rest on Mona Lisa's shoulder. The plea in her voice was obvious enough. He tilted her face up gently to make eye contact. "Mona Lisa, I'll take care of him. I promise."

She wrapped her arms around him and he returned the hug for a brief moment, before pulling away. Donnie turned to Master Splinter and turned toward the hall, the old rat following closely behind him.

On the outside, he appeared calm and composed, but on the inside Master Splinter was growing increasingly nervous. As soon as they reached the lab door, Donatello stopped short. "It's not easy to look at, Sensei."

The fatherly rat closed his eyes and steeled himself. "I know my son. Though I am never truly prepared to see any of you injured, I am as ready as I am going to be." He admitted.

Donatello nodded solemnly and opened the lab door, motioning Splinter to go in first. The old rat did as directed, and froze in his tracks. "Raphael…my—my son…" He gasped and rushed forward, his furry claws dancing softly over the injured turtle's brow. There were tears in his eyes. He turned to Rockwell, who was closest. "Will he—will he survive?"

The monkey mutant nodded. "Superficially, all of his injuries will heal and he'll make a complete recovery. The most worrisome aspect at this point in time is whether or not he will ever wake up."

A furry hand came to rest on Raphael's brow. "The strongest of my sons…Raphael will awaken. He will fight his way back to us."

Rockwell offered no verbal confirmation, but tilted his head in acknowledgment.

"Master Splinter, we need your help wrapping Raphael's burns."

Splinter nodded, his eyes briefly inspecting the intricately wrapped bandages on Raphael's right hand. "I see that his broken hand has already been well-cared for."

Doctor Rockwell nodded. "I did the best I could given the circumstances."

"This bandage is very efficient. After we have wrapped all of his burns we might want to make a proper cast."

"Hai Sensei." Donnie agreed as he handed his rat father the gauze wraps before he and Rockwell began cleaning and applying antibiotic cream.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, outside…**

Mona Lisa was curled up at Leonardo's side, shaking like a leaf. He hadn't seen her this scared in while. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and tucked her head beneath his chin. Mona leaned into the embrace, clinging to him tightly. "Raphael will be okay, Mona. You heard everything Donnie said, yes he's hurt, but he's alive. There's no really major damage. He'll make it through this. He's a fighter. He always has been."

Tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she shook.

Leonardo pushed her away a little, tears forming in his own dark blue orbs as he pleaded. "Mona, please…" When that didn't work he put both hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. "Mona Lisa…I made Raphael a promise. Before we left that day…"

* * *

 **Flashback-Leo's POV**

I took a couple deep breaths to steady myself after all of that laughing. We all left Raphael's room and into the main room. I felt a strong hand grab my shoulder and tug me off to the side. I glanced over with wide, curious eyes at my immediate younger sibling. At my surprised yelp, our brothers turned towards us. Raph waved them off. "Get lost you two! Leo and I need to have a big brother discussion."

Mikey and Donnie looked at each other for a few seconds, rolled their eyes and shook their heads, walking away and leaving us alone.

"What's all this about, Raph?" I asked, crossing my arms over my plastron and narrowing my eyes inquisitively.

He held up his hands. "Don't be like that, bro. I just…I need you to promise me something."

One of my eye-ridges shot up in intrigue. "Like what?" I demanded.

"Geez! Would you ease up and let me get it out?!" He whined frustratedly.

I rolled my eyes and gave him a pointed look that told him to go ahead.

"Uh…well…I kinda need you to…" He sighed and his shoulders hunched. "I need you to promise me…" An emerald green hand came to rest on my shoulder and my expression immediately softened when I saw how difficult this was for him. I put one of my hands on his shoulder to let him know I was listening. He slowly met my gaze and went on. "…I need you to promise me that…if something happens…to me…" He grit his teeth an suddenly puffed it out in one exhale. "I need you to promise me that you will take care of Mona Lisa. You know…if something happens."

My grip on his shoulder tightened. "I won't let anything happen Raphael."

"Leo…please…"

I'd never seen Raphael so desperate. I nodded solemnly. "I promise. I would have done it anyway."

He nodded. "I know you would. I just needed to hear you say it."

I pulled him into a one sided hug-headlock. "Don't you worry, little brother, we've all got each others' backs."

He smiled and rolled his eyes, huffing when I called him 'little' brother. "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah."

 _I promise I won't let anything happen to you, little brother. No one is getting hurt on my watch. I swear it._

 **End Flashback**

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

"So please, Mona Lisa…Don't cry. I already broke one promise, Mona Lisa. I don't want to break another one." Leo whispered softly.

This time Mona Lisa was the one who tilted his head upward. She had already wiped her tears away. "L-Leo…" She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and smiled.

Leo's cheeks went beet red and he grinned appreciatively at her.

From off to the side, a pair of mutagen colored eyes narrowed suspiciously. Slash turned to Michelangelo and whispered into the youngest turtle's ear. "I thought you said she was Raphael's girlfriend."

Mikey turned and blinked confusedly up at the larger turtle mutant. "Well yeah?"

"Then why are she and Leo so…"

Baby blue eyes widened as the youngest realized where Slash was going with this. They quickly narrowed at the insinuations. "Hey! Don't go there, dude! Mona and Leo are just friends! Fuuuurrrr—ehhhhh—nnnd—suh!" He dragged out, trying to get his point across.

"Don't you think they act a little bit…close…for friends?" Slash whispered with an eye-ridge raised.

Michelangelo bit back a heated reply and glanced over in his older brother's direction. They were both blushing now and smiling softly at each other. _Leo had been getting really close to Mona lately…hmm…_ Mikey's eyes narrowed. He'd have to ask his older brother about this. _But now was not the time…_

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Did you like it? What was your favorite part? Any other feedback you'd like to share? Review Please!**


	25. Contemplation Compilation

**So, I wrote this chapter in fragments. Which, you'll soon see. I decided to go for a more…introspective approach on this one. and it's probably going to be a little on the long side, so bear with me.**

 **P.S. I'm not going to tell you whose POV this first part is in because I know it won't take you long to figure it out…In fact, you'll probably know by the second sentence—er, third sentence.**

* * *

 **Ch. 25-Contemplation Compilation**

I knew something was going to happen. I could sense it. That's why I made Leonardo promise me he would take care of Mona. I told myself I was being paranoid. I told myself that I wouldn't help anybody by being paranoid. Unfortunately, I pushed it to the side, but my suspicions were confirmed as Leo was captured.

After I got him back, the feeling faded for a few moments. But it didn't take long before it was back. I got Leo to the Shell Raiser and all was going well, until the damn thing broke down and we had to walk back to the lair. I told Donnie over a week ago that engine didn't sound too hot, but did he listen to me? No!

We were okay for a couple minutes and then, what happens? We're being followed. Of course we were. I didn't know who the shell was following us, but I knew that whoever they were they were getting a beat down.

Turns out she was some kind of mad scientist, and not the good kind either. She was out to get my brothers and me. And she had some kind vendetta against Mona Lisa. I was surprised. Though I really shouldn't have been with all the crazy stuff that happens in our lives on a daily basis. Considering that we went to that lab and this scientist was the one who followed us, I shouldn't have been surprised. I was convinced that this was the woman who hurt Mona in that lab.

And then Leo had to open his big, fat mouth!

The second he did the feeling in my gut spiked. I knew exactly what that creepy scientist chick was doing. I crouched, ready to leap. I know my brothers. Leonardo probably doesn't even realize how good I am at predicting his movements. I knew he wouldn't let those words go unanswered, and the second his muscles tensed, the way they always do when he's about to charge, I leaped forward, shoving him to the side.

But even I didn't realize that it was gonna hurt quite that much. Everything went black and since then…nothing.

* * *

 **Thinking (Michelangelo's POV)**

I've been thinking a lot about what Slash said. Yep, that's right! I might be the master of the whole 'empty mind' technique, but I can think sometimes!

See, I get where Slash is coming from, and I know that he's only looking out for Raph, but he's got this thing all wrong! Yes, Leo and Mona have gotten really close. Yes, she leans more on him than she does on me and Donnie. Yes, they do get a little bit touchy-feely sometimes...but Mona Lisa loves Raphael. I mean she loves Leo, don't get me wrong, but she loves him like the rest of us do: like a bro.

With her and Raph it is sooooooo much more...you get what I'm saying.

Honestly, Leo is just going through the motions, comforting her as best he can. As soon as Raph wakes up, she'll be all his, you can count on that.

I mean, I can't blame Slash for thinking what he did. After all, he was just being a little overprotective. Even after everything that happened, he and Raph still have a really special bond. They watch out for each other. And just like Raph is still protective of Slash, the same thing goes the other way 'round. I get that.

But Slash has never seen Mona with Raph. He doesn't know the difference between the way those two interact and the way she and Leo…er…you know what I mean. Still…guess I should talk to Leo.

* * *

 **You think I'm WHAT?! (Leo's POV)**

"Hey! Leo! Can I talk to you for a second bro?" Michelangelo asked from behind me as Slash and Leatherhead were leading Mona to the kitchen.

Mona stopped and turned back to face us, her soft, fawn eyes glinting worriedly in the dim lighting. I smiled reassuringly. "You go ahead, Mona. Mikey and I will catch up." She nodded and bounded off after Slash and Leatherhead as they continued down the hall.

I sent my younger sibling a curious glance. "What's up Mikey? Everything okay?" I didn't bother hiding my concern. Mikey's ability to perceive even the slightest of emotional cues is renowned in our family.

He frowned. Honest-to-goodness frowned. Okay. Now I worried. "…Mikey?"

"I gotta talk to ya, bro." He said slowly, doing little push-ups with his fingers like the interrogators in all those cop-show re-runs he watches. "And you're not gonna like what I have to ask."

I suddenly began to feel very nervous. I'd never seen Mikey act this serious about anything, and its kind of scaring me. Man…if I could figure out a way to bring this Mikey out into the battlefield…all our enemies would run away screaming.

Before I could speak, Mikey held a hand up and went on. "I need you to understand that's its Raph's interests I'm protecting here. You got it?"

My orange-masked brother's baby blue eyes skewered me with an intense stare and when I finally nodded I felt very much like a bobble-head. My eyes were wide with shock and surprise at my youngest sibling, of all people, talking to me this way. I was so flabbergasted that I almost didn't catch what he said next.

"Tell me about your intentions regarding Mona Lisa!"

I blinked multiple times and my eye-ridges furrowed. My mouth opened and closed a couple of times until I finally managed to let out a very puny-sounding: "Huh?"

Mikey crossed his arms over his plastron and frowned again, suddenly reminding me of our hotheaded sibling. My mind slowly began to piece together my little brother's words through the haze of surprise: _Protection…Mikey's protecting Raph? But…why? What from?_ I thought briefly about Mikey's question before I answered. "Well—I…she needs someone Michelangelo! She was already scarred enough by what those researchers did to her, and then with Raph gone…she needed someone! And I'm going to be there for her little brother. She's family. She deserves all the love and protection we can give her right now. Raphael is hurt and Mona Lisa is hurting! My intention is to help her through this as best I can! Right now I'm her protector, her Guardian!"

Michelangelo didn't seem to pleased by my final statement. The rough, alien attitude washed away and he looked a lot more Mikey-ish. But he was still upset. Really upset. I stepped towards him and put a hand on his shoulder, but soon the anger was back and he pushed my hand away, looking me squarely in the eyes.

"You can't replace Raph!" He yelled, making me take a step back.

It took a couple moments for what he said to really soak in. And as soon as it I swear my eyes grew to the size of saucers. I shot forward and cupped his youthful, freckled face, forcing him to look at my face. My stance was hard, my muscles rigid, and my tone was absolutely rock hard. "No one will ever replace Raph." I stated with absolute conviction before tugging my orange-masked sibling into a tight hug. He returned it, but pulled away sooner than I would have liked which could only mean one thing: something else was bothering him. I put hand on his shoulder. "We're all worried about Raph, Mikey. But he'll be okay. You know that hothead just as well as we do. He'll fight with everything he's got to get back to us."

Mikey smiled a little and I could already feel balance returning to the universe, but he surprised me when he spoke. "I know he will. That's not what's bothering me."

One of my eye-ridges shot up and I gestured him to go on. He looked a little nervous. "I didn't really get to what I was trying to say. Leo…you and Mona…" If it were possible, my eye-ridge would have gone up even further. Something about the way Mikey said that sounded…strained. "You two have been getting really close lately."

I nodded, motioning him once again to continue.

Michelangelo shifted nervously. "I just want to make sure that there's nothing…changing…between you two. I mean…I know you're really good friends and all that…but I want to make sure that you two aren't becoming…you know…" I gave him a really blank stare. I had no idea where my little brother was going with this. Mikey sighed and rolled his eyes. "I want to make sure you're not becoming something more. Because Raph deserves better than that. From you and Mona. There. I said it." He crossed his arms over his plastron and stared at me as though gauging my reaction.

I was positively floored. _Mikey?! What?! When?! Wha—why?!_ My face suddenly felt very hot as I was flooded with embarrassment. "WHY would you even—" my voice died in my throat and I sputtered a few more times, much to the amusement of my younger brother. Finally, I managed to pull some thoughts together, but the second I opened my mouth, they didn't quite come out as planned. "You-you-you-you think I'm—WHAT?!"

Michelangelo chuckled mirthfully. And soon, he was hugging an extremely distraught older sibling. He rubbed my head affectionately as a wide smile spread all the way across his face. "I knew you wouldn't do anything like that bro. I just had to make sure you didn't get yourself in that kind of situation by not really thinking about it. I mean…you two have been acting real touchy-feely lately."

"But-but-but-but…"

He patted my carapace softly. "You sound like a motorboat, bro. Give it a few seconds."

I did. And while I did, I thought about the way Mona and I have been acting. We've really become dependent on each other for physical reassurance. I guess I didn't notice how affectionate our little displays might have seemed to my brothers and the Mighty Mutanimals. Mona needed it, well, we both did. But I hadn't really stopped to think about where these actions could have taken us.

I mean…I have to admit…over the past week or so, Mona and I have gotten a lot closer, and we were already close, so that's really saying something. I—well—I knew that she was sweet and stubborn, but I had never really known firsthand how incredibly complex she is until recently. There's so much to her, so many different things that mold her into who she is as an individual. And I'd be a liar if I said I didn't find that attractive. What can I say? That 'mysterious' factor is a big turn on for me.

So is her confidence and stubbornness. I admit that I enjoy griping, and or, wrestling with Mona over things, because she puts up a good fight. And when it comes to attractiveness…well…she is beautiful. Very beautiful. Hm. I have to admit, if things had turned out differently, in all honesty, I might have been interested in Mona Lisa in…that…way.

But I would never take her away from Raphael. Never. I've seen the way he looks at her. The way he smiles at her. The way she laughs with him…they're perfect for each other.

That's the way it is and the way it will be once again as soon as Raph wakes up.

 _Besides, there's someone else that I…_ My cheeks are turning red and I shake my head from side to side _…er, never mind!_

I turned to Michelangelo. "Thanks Mikey."

He looked a little confused.

"For letting me know. I-I didn't even realize that my attempts to reassure Mona might have seemed a little…forward to you guys."

Mikey blew if off easily. "Don't sweat it bro. Like I said, I never doubted ya, bro. I just doubted whether or not you realized the way things were looking."

"Well I didn't. I didn't even realize."

Mikey just laughed and threw an arm over my shoulders as we finally began to walk down the hall the Mutanimal's kitchen. "I know bro! That's why I'm the smart one!" He preened with a smile.

I stared incredulously at him for a moment, opening my mouth to say something, but I stopped myself and settled for an eye-roll. _Oh, to shell with it. I'll never be able to convince him otherwise._

* * *

 **My Best Friend (Slash's POV)**

Leatherhead began sifting through the food that we had in the old, beat-up fridge as we took a seat off to side where we wouldn't be in his way. She glanced up at me and their were a few moments of awkward silence on both our parts. A soft movement caught my eye and I realized that her tail was twitching. I followed her gaze to the door that we had just come through. She seemed worried.

I grunted and she looked at me. "Those four have been through mass alien invasions and come out virtually unscathed. I doubt that a little talk between oldest and youngest is anything to be concerned about."

She nodded vaguely and turned her attention away from the door, scanning the room slowly. Finally, her gaze settled back on me. She turned so that it would be easier for me to read her body language. My eyes narrowed as I carefully did my best to decipher what she was trying to ask.

 _What was he like?_

I raised an eyebrow questioningly. _Who?_

The fiery passion that flashed in her eyes in answer was answer enough.

I sighed. "What do you mean?"

 _When he was smaller. What was he like?_ She asked, her eyes lit with innocent curiosity.

I frowned a little and looked away. "I don't remember."

Mona glared and thumped her tail pointedly. _Yes you do._

"He found me when he was six. I don't know what he was like before that."

 _But then?_ Her soft brown gaze dug deep into my soul and I sighed, pulling my eyes down and away.

"He was…sensitive. The things his brothers said, whether they were serious, or simply teasing, resonated deep inside of him and he was hurting. He needed a friend. That's where I came in…" I paused, closing my eyes tightly as small tears gathered in my eyes.

 _-Hey little guy. What are you doing down here? You look hungry. C'mon, I'll take you back to my place and you can eat something. Hey…your shell is kinda spiky! I'm gonna call you Spike!-_

"I can still remember the fear in his eyes that night when Master Splinter called him in to join his brothers in the dojo…"

 _-What am I gonna do, Spike? What if Master Splinter says I can't keep ya? What if he makes me put you back? You're my friend and you need me! I can't just throw you back in the sewers!-_

"Master Splinter definitely wasn't enthusiastic when he saw me…"

 _-"Can I keep him Sensei? Please?!-_

 _-No, Raphael, you must put him back.-_

 _-But Father he needs me!-_

 _-And the last thing you need is a pet!-_

I smiled as I told Mona about that day all those years ago, all the little details suddenly resurfacing. "But the second those big, green eyes began to water, Splinter's resolve was already breaking. Raphael was devastated."

 _"You don't understand me! Nobody understands me but Spike! He's my best friend, Father, you can't throw him back in the sewers!...please.-_

"I think it was that final please that actually made Splinter reconsider. Raphael was on his knees, cradling me in his arms, staring up at Master Splinter with the most desperate look I've ever seen him display. So Splinter finally said yes. And I became Raphael's best friend. He told me everything. I became an emotional outlet, a person with whom he could express his most suppressed emotions. As a result, most of our bonding moments were times when he was under heavy emotional stress, but we had plenty of good times." I finally pulled off of memory lane and turned to the lizard mutant beside me, who stared back with eager and curious eyes.

Mona motioned me to go on and I laughed, wondering what I should tell her next.

I shrugged my shoulders. "What do you want to hear about?"

She smiled at me and motioned yet again for me to go on.

I thought for a few seconds before smiling slightly. "Well…I don't know…I guess…the winter after the four of them turned eight…"

 _-ACHOO! A-CHOO! Ugh…How ya feelin' buddy?-_

"Raphael had been sick for almost a week and he was finally starting to get better. The rest of the family had gone out to scavenging. Splinter had left Raphael strict instructions to stay in bed and rest."

- _Hey Thpike, sure is boring being stuck in bed. Let's go get something to eat.-_

"I gave him my best glare as he carried me to the kitchen and wiped his beak with the back of his hand. I remember he sighed and pouted."

 _-Don't give me that look, Spike. You gotta eat, buddy.-_

 _"_ When we got to the kitchen he pulled a leaf from the fridge and offered it to me. I took it and crawled back to his hand, trying to step onto it. He just laughed."

 _-What? You want me to go back to the room so soon? But I haven't even gotten to lay out a prank for Mikey yet!-_

"I remember staring blankly at him until he finally sighed and lifted me up. I felt much more at ease when we were back in his room and he was tucked in the covers. He let me sit on top of blankets over his plastron as I ate my leaf."

 _-Yur the best friend ever, Spike. Thanks for watching out for me, buddy.-_

My voice caught in my throat. "He-he fell asleep, so I curled up on his chest and did the same." I finished quickly.

In fact, Raphael had offered me his finger, the way he always did. And I'd laid my foot over it softly, the way I always did. And he patted my head gently as he yawned.

 _-Thanks for…understanding…Spike. I'm glad you're my friend.-_

He'd murmured as he drifted into rest. I finished my leaf, keeping my eyes glued to my friend's young, frail, and slightly feverish face. I was far more worried about him than I was about taking care of myself. I wonder…if he realized that…

The sound of someone clearing their throat made me look up. At some point during the story Leonardo and Michelangelo must have walked into the room because they were both staring at me with gentle, understanding eyes.

"When was that?" Leonardo asked.

I focused on a small spot on the ground as I answered, "The winter after you turned eight." I expected him to say something, but instead he just nodded vaguely, seemingly deep in thought.

Finally, he moved over and plopped down in front of Mona myself. His strong, blue gaze fixed on me as he commanded forcefully. "Tell me more."

I frowned. "I won't tell you anything that Raphael wouldn't want you to know."

"I understand that. But we need to know what we can. We—I need to understand."

I threw a hard glare at him and he returned it.

When Leonardo spoke again his voice was quiet and earnest. "I _want_ to understand. Tell me more."

"There isn't much more I can tell you without Raph's permission. But I can tell you this: When the four of you were seven-and-a-half…"

 _-C'mon Leo! I wanna play something other than 'Run from the Monster'!-_

 _-Raph, it's Mikey's turn to choose, and he wants to play 'Run from the Monster'.-_

 _-Fine. But you have to be the monster!-_

 _-Aw, but Raphie that's no fun!-_

 _-Well, why do I always have to be the monster?!-_

 _-Because, logically, you make the best monster.-_

 _-You don't even know what that word means! And I don't wanna!-_

 _-Fine! If you're going to be a baby then go do something else while we play!-_

 _-Fine! I will!-_

"He took me to his room after that. I sat on the bed and watched as he paced up and down the room. You may not have realized it, but he was deeply hurt by your actions. He's always been a lot more sensitive than he lets on. Finally, after a few minutes of pacing he sat on the bed and looked down at me."

- _Spike, why do I always have to be the monster? And it's not just in 'Run from the Monster', either. They always make me the bad guy. Why is it always me?-_

"There were tears in his eyes."

 _-M-Mikey said that its no fun unless I'm the monster. A-and Donnie said that logi-ka, lodge-cally I am the best monster. D-Do you—Do you think they think…I'm a monster?-_

I paused in my tale and glanced at Leonardo, who looked crushed. I frowned a little at the guilt in Leo and Mikey's eyes. And I did my best to reassure them. "Don't be too hard on yourselves. He didn't dwell on it for long." _That night._ I added to myself, but I quickly turned away from those darker thoughts and grinned at Leo. "Do you remember what you did next?"

The eldest turtle canted his head and blinked blankly. My smile grew even wider and I resumed the story. "There was a loud knock at the door."

- _Raph? Are you in there?-_

 _-Go away, Leo!-_

 _-Not until you open the door!-_

 _-URGH! Fine!-_

"I watched him get up, go to the door, and open it. I couldn't really see you, Leonardo, but I could hear you well enough."

- _What do you want?-_

 _-I want you to come and play.-_

 _-Oh yeah? Well I'm not going to be your monster, Leo! And I'm not a big baby!_

 _-I'm sorry Raph. Please? Mikey and Donnie went off to play some search and-something-or-other game. We can play something you like.-_

 _-Wait…so…its just you?-_

 _-Yeah._

 _-And you want to play…with me?_

 _-Well…yeah. Why wouldn't I? I like playing with you._

I couldn't help but smile as I recalled the look of absolute excitement on Raphael's face as he ran back into the room to pick me up before rushing back to Leonardo's side. "His eyes lit up with joy and excitement, Leonardo. You made him so happy that day."

"I just asked him to play with me. Why was that such a big deal?" The eldest asked softly.

I sighed. "Splinter intensified your training when you turned seven. The four of you spent a lot more time in the dojo practicing. And you spent even more time there than the others. You didn't play with them as often as you used to and Raphael had missed you. He was afraid that the three of you saw him as a monster. But then you, the brother he missed the most, came to him and told him that you liked to play with him. It may not seem like a big deal to you or anybody else. But it meant the world to Raphael." I paused and gave that a few minutes to sink in before I added, "I think you'd be surprised by how much importance Raphael attaches to all those little moments. All those tiny phrases that seem almost menial to you. Sometimes Raphael needs those more than anything else."

"I—I never realized…"

"I know." I rumbled softly. I caught Mona's eyes and perceived a somewhat sad stare on her face. Can't have that. I cleared my throat a little and moved on. "I watched for hours as the two of you ran around the lair screaming at the top of your lungs, playing Raphael's favorite games. You bickered constantly, and when you couldn't come to a conclusion, you'd just wrestle for dominance and whack each other around a little. Raphael's laughter rang through the lair. Finally, when all your energy was gone and you were almost completely spent the two of you dropped down in front of the television and drew picture of your day with stubby red, blue and green crayons."

 _-Look, Leo! I drew us running through the lair! And look! This one is us wrestling! And this one is me winning!_

 _-Hey! That didn't happen! I won!_

 _-No you didn't!-_

 _-Yes I did!-_

 _-Nuh-uh!-_

 _-Yah-huh!-_

 _-Nuh-uh!-_

 _-Yah-huh!-_

 _-Nuh-uh!-_

 _-Oh, I give up! You're impossible! Here, look! This one is you and me playing!_

"It was a drawing of the two of you sitting in front of the television—" I was cut off.

"—With me hugging Raph." Leo finished and nodded. "I remember drawing it. Go on."

I shook my head gravely. "No. I can't tell you anything else. I've probably already told you more than Raphael would want you to know."

Leonardo didn't look pleased. "I still don't know whether I'll be able to underst—"

This time I cut Leo off. "He still has it, you know."

The blue-masked turtle raised a confused eye-ridge. "Huh?"

"The picture your drew. Raphael still has it." I elaborated softly, watching Leo's eyes double in size. "He keeps it hidden, but he always knows exactly where it is. He used to look at it after every fight with you because it reminded him of how much you used to love him."

Dark blue eyes narrowed as the turtle leader glared heatedly at me. "He's my brother. Without him…I'm nothing. It doesn't matter how much we fight. I love my brother. There is no 'used to'. I love my brother Raphael."

"I wish I could say that Raphael realized that." I said softly. My words were genuine. I knew that Leonardo's words were true, but I knew that deep inside of Raphael lay massive seas of doubt. Like I said, that hothead is a lot softer than he lets on.

Leo looked stricken. He jumped to his feet and swayed a little. "I—I—I can't believe…" Searing blue eyes burned a hole through my very soul as he stared at me. "Tell me what I have to do."

I gawked a little at his words, not sure I understood correctly.

He surged forward. "Tell me what I have to do to quell his doubts! How do I prove myself to him?"

"Raphael knows you love him, Leonardo. If he took that hit for you as you claim then he knows. It is only in those most difficult moments, when he is left only with himself for solace, that he begins to wonder. Cynicism is in his nature. Doubt is something he has in copious amounts." I frowned. "Also, don't forget that this is how he felt in the past. I have no idea how much of this still applies. And I know that he has matured a lot since I was mutated."

Michelangelo nodded in agreement as he pulled Leonardo into a tentative hug. "Yeah, Leo. Besides, Mona Lisa already helped quell Raph's anger issues. Maybe being with her left Raph with fewer doubts. But I'll tell you this, big bro, if Raph doesn't realize how much we love him, he is damn well gonna find out as soon as he returns to consciousness. Because we're going to take care of him and get him back on his feet!"

I smiled. "That goes for all of us." I said encouragingly.

 **I don't know (Leo's POV)**

I hear their words of comfort, but I simply can't acknowledge them. Raphael is hurt. Badly hurt. He could have died, though it sounds like he's made it through the worst of it. But just the thought that there was a chance he could have died never truly knowing that I care about him…that terrifies me.

A world without Raphael…it would be a living nightmare.

I have to see Raphael. I just have to see him! How much longer will I have to endure this torture of waiting and not knowing?! I have to see him! I just have to!

I whirl around and my breath hitches in my chest as I see Donatello standing in the doorway with a grim look on his face.

The next words out of his mouth left me filled with both dread and anticipation:

"You can see him now."

* * *

 **Chapter 25?! Wow. I wasn't expecting this story to be so long. Or even get this far. In fact, when I first came up with this story idea, I thought no one would like it, so I was hesitant to write it out. I can't believe it was so well-received! You guys have no idea how happy it makes me to know that you love something I've written!** **J** **It warms my heart. *Sniffle* Just…just give me a few moments…for these tears of joy…**

 **So…did you like it? Questions, comments, concerns? Favorite part?**

 **Review Please!**


	26. Leo's Lamentation

**Well, I wasn't able to get as much in this chapter as I wanted to, but here you are. I do enjoy this chapter and I don't think I would have been able to fit much more in without making it really long. Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ch. 26-Leo's Lamentation**

Leonardo followed Donatello silently down the halls of the unfamiliar lair in silence. They stopped in front of a wide, gray door. Don turned to face him with a grave expression on his face. "Leo…"

The eldest turtle's face was filled with concern. Don sighed and his shoulders drooped. He was mentally and physically exhausted. Raphael was finally stable. He'd gone out to tell his family that they could see Raph one at a time. Of course, everyone had agreed that Leonardo should go first. Now though, Donnie was beginning to have second thoughts. Perhaps he should have let Leo go last because he knew that his older brother would not want to leave Raph's side. Not under these conditions. He sighed again. "Leo…it's not…whatever you're expecting—it's ten times worse."

Leo shuddered at his younger sibling's words, but nodded gratefully. Much as Don's words horrified him, he knew that they were for his benefit. If he was expecting the worst, he wouldn't be quiet as shocked when he saw Raphael's current condition. Slowly Don slid the door open and stepped inside. Leo followed, his steps in sync with the brainiac's. He stopped short and his breath caught in his chest. "Raph…" He gasped. His step faltered and he had to grab the wall to keep from falling over.

Don shot a sympathetic look in Leo's direction as he watched his older brother's fearless façade crumple. He thought about going forward and letting Leo lean on him for support but before he could act on it, his older brother had moved.

In the blink of an eye, Leo had shot forward. Laying his arms gently across Raphael's shoulders and pulling his head up to the injured turtle's chest, Leonardo wept.

Donatello was stunned to the point of inaction. Much as he wanted to comfort his brother during this difficult time, there was nothing he could do. His words would fall on deaf ears.

"Raph…" Leo sobbed, his watery eyes peering up at Raph's motionless face. A forest green hand cupped the side of the pale, emerald green cheek as he keened. "Raph! Why? Why did you do it? I know you wanted to protect me but…WHY?"

Finally, Donnie swallowed his own raging emotions and stepped forward to put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Leo…" His throat closed up as he struggled to hold back tears. "L-Leo…I'll give you a few minutes alone if you want."

Leo nodded numbly, but before Donnie could walk out he called out meekly. "Donnie?"

The sullen, purple masked turtle turned lethargically towards him.

"Will he…will he be…"

"His injuries will heal, just like yours did after your confrontation with Shredder."

"When will he wake up?"

Don's face was gray and grim. "He may never wake again, Leo."

"No…" Leonardo gasped and turned back to Raph's slack features. "Can he hear what we're saying?"

Don frowned. "Could you hear us while you were in the bathtub at the farmhouse?" He was expecting his older brother to be rather put-off by the bluntness of the question. Therefore he was surprised when Leo's expression turned into an intensely thoughtful frown.

"Sometimes…though I think it was mostly Raph…"

The brainiac had heard of people in a comatose states supposedly hearing what was going on around them, but he had never believed it to be possible. Though his scientific side told him it was implausible, all of Sensei's teachings regarding the power of the mind made him think that perhaps given the correct circumstances… Don cut off his line of thought before it went too far. He sighed. There were still some things that Leo didn't know about their time at the farmhouse before he woke up. "April told you that Raph hardly left your side."

Leo nodded.

Don suddenly found himself unable to look anywhere but the ground. "Raph stayed by you day and night. He barely slept, he hardly ate, and he never came to us with his problems. Mikey and I constantly shared our feelings and doubts concerning Sensei and fate of the city…and your condition… But Raph, he never did."

Leo's muscles tensed as he realized where Donnie was going with this. "He talked to me."

Don nodded. "Yeah. Every time I caught him at it I told him that you couldn't hear him. But he wouldn't accept that. He insisted that you could and he refused to accept anything less. I eventually just gave up. I knew that it would be impossible to get through that thick skull of his."

"But he was right Donnie. I-I remember…he was telling me that Mikey had fallen from—something and hurt his leg—a"

"The hayloft." Don said, his eyes wide. Leo raised an eye-ridge and Donnie went on. "Mikey fell down the ladder to the hayloft and hurt his leg. I was furious with him. He wasn't—"

"—supposed to be up there. That's what Raph said." Leo whispered softly.

Donatello was shocked.

Determination filled Leonardo's deep blue irises as he made direct eye contact with Donnie. "I'm gonna talk to him, Don. Even if he can't hear me…I have to tell him—"

The purple-masked turtle nodded. "I understand Leo. Do what you have to do. Come out when you're done."

Leo grinned appreciatively and Don returned the gesture with a strained smile before he left the room and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Not long after the only sound that echoed through the room was the steady beep of the heart monitor. It terrified Leo to see his younger sibling in such a state. All the tubes from the monitors and the respirator horrified him. His hands shook as he reached out to hold an emerald green hand in his. "Raph…I have no idea if you can hear me, but…there are some things I have to say. I—I can't believe that you jumped in and took that hit for me. It was…so horrific. I can honestly say that I'll never forget that moment for the rest of my life. I felt as though I'd been stabbed straight in the heart. Your scream…"

Leo's hands began to shake violently as fresh tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. "Seeing you in that much pain—It should have been me, Raph! It should have been me! You should have let her…UGH! Can't you understand? I'm the oldest and the leader! I'm the one who's supposed to protect you guys. But you always…You always get hurt. No matter what we do, you seem to the be the one who gets hurt the most. I can't stand that Raph. I hate that I can't protect you the way I protect the others. I've already failed you as a leader. And now I failed you as a brother. I should have seen that shot coming. I should have realized what she was doing. I should have known. I should have been able to see what she had in store for me. But I failed. I let my emotions blind me—and you paid the price. I'm so sorry Raph." Tears slowly rolled down his cheeks.

"Raphael...Slash told me some things, some things that I never would have known otherwise. And I—I have to tell you this now. I-I don't have very many memories from our early years…" He paused, his grip on Raph's hand tightening a little. "But I remember back when we were eight. I know that we were really little, and that seems like so long ago now, but I remember the night you came into my room. It was past our bedtime and you woke me up."

 _-Leo, Leo! Wake up! Wake up!_

 _-Ugh…Raph it's the middle of the night! Go to your room and go to sleep!_

 _-No, I wanna show you somethin'!_

 _-Urgh. Now?_

 _-Yeah! Come on, Leo! Wake up!_

 _-I'm already up, dumbshell! Now what did you want to show me?_

 _-Look!_

"I remember the way that you had to scramble to get up on my bed because your hands were full. You pushed the old, slightly battered cardboard box you were carrying onto my bed and I looked down at it. I can still remember how thrilled I was. It was filled with scavenged toys. I'd never seen so many toys in one place before. And they were in better condition than most of the toys we found in the sewers."

 _-Whoa! These are awesome! Raph, where did you get these?!_

 _-I found them in the tunnels._

 _-WHAT?! You went into the tunnels alone?!_

 _-Shh! You're gonna wake Sensei!_

 _-Raph you're not supposed to do that, you'll get in trouble!_

 _-But look what I found Leo! Isn't it worth it?_

"You always were hard to argue with. Even at that age."

 _-Well…yeah, I guess so. Just take me with you next time. You know what Sensei says…_

 _-Yeah, yeah, 'the outside world is not safe'_

"Though I hate to admit it, even back then your Master Splinter impression was pretty good."

 _-Okay, Raph, okay. But if you found them why did you bring them here?_

 _-Well…um…don't you wanna play with me?_

"I can still remember how complete stunned I was. I could hardly believe that you had woken me up in the middle of the night to ask me to play with you. Looking back, I don't know why it was so surprising. You just wanted to spend some time with me. I was going to say no because we had early training the next morning, but the look on your face made me think twice. I'm so glad that I did. I didn't want to make you sad, and to be completely honest…I really wanted to play with the toys too. And since you were offering…"

 _-Okay. But just for a little bit and not too loud or Sensei will hear us._

"I never really did find out why you came to me that night, Raph. I wish I knew. But I do know one thing: we'll be having a lot more moments like that in the future. I know that we aren't children anymore and that perhaps we can no longer connect on that same level…but I love you little brother. And that's just the thing: we'll always be brothers, no matter how much we bicker and snap at each other. I'll always see you as the little brother I played with all those years ago. The little brother I care so much about. Please Raph…I want to get back the bond that we've lost over these last couple years. I want to understand you again. But more than that, I need you to make it through this, Raphie. My sole goal has been to protect my three little brothers. You mean more to me than anything else. I can't lose you. You've got to make it through this, Raphael. You have to me that even though I failed, I haven't failed completely. I need you to fight through this, little brother. Please. Because without you by my side…I fear myself and our family will never truly be whole again."

Leonardo squeezed Raph's hand firmly; the tears now cascading rapidly, and silently down his cheeks. He took a deep breath and finally peeled away. As he left the room his eyes never left the floor. He had to forcibly place one foot in front of the other to move forward. On the inside he was broken and torn. He wanted to stay by Raph's side until the hothead recovered, but he knew that there were others who were waiting to see the injured turtle.

* * *

When Leo returned the main room, Mona Lisa ran up to Donatello.

"Mona…are you sure? It's not easy seeing him…in his current state." Mona Lisa's tail lifted and her posture straightened warningly. Don held his hands up in surrender. "Alright. Alright. Follow me."

* * *

Michelangelo trotted rapidly over to his eldest brother worriedly. Leo had not said a word and his skin looked three shades paler than it had when he'd left to go see Raph. Judging by the look on Slash's face, Mikey wasn't the only one who had noticed. Dark blue eyes expertly avoided Mikey's questing gaze. Briefly glancing around the room, Leo's eyes finally landed on the figure he was looking for. Without saying a word he steered around his youngest sibling and barreled straight into their Father, wrapping his arms around the old rat.

Splinter didn't even pause and embraced his son. He, too, had experienced difficulty seeing Raphael in such a state and he was not surprised by Leonardo's sudden need for reassurance. Though he was slightly stunned to see that the tears that streaked his eldest child's face. Splinter pulled his oldest son in close to his chest and listened intently as Leonardo finally began to speak.

"S-Sensei…it was so…s-s-so hard seeing him like that."

"I know, my son."

"I-I tried to talk to him. I t-told him…I told him that he has to fight through this. He just has to."

"He will, Leonardo, he will. He is strong."

"The strongest of us all." Mikey murmured, adding himself into the hug. "If anyone can fight through it…Raph can."

"Mikey…" Leo whispered, shifting to cling to his younger sibling.

Slash frowned. He was worried. The way that Splinter and Leo both seemed to be affected by seeing Raph…he had to see Raphael…He needed to…

But he knew that Raphael's family would want to see him first. With a light growl Slash turned his back on the turtles and their father, his fists clenching in frustration and helplessness. Someone put a large hand on his shoulder and he flinched. It was Leatherhead. "This has been a long and difficult time for you too, my friend. Perhaps you should get some rest."

Slash glared. "I can't rest until I've seen Raphael. Leonardo, Michelangelo, I know that you don't want to talk about it. But I need you to tell me everything about what happened to Raphael."

Leatherhead frowned. "Slash…This is hardly the time…"

"No. LH, it's fine." Leo said, straightening and wiping what was left of his tears away with the back of his hand. "You guys need to know. She was some kind of crazed scientist woman. We had returned to the research facility where we found Mona Lisa all those months ago because we thought we might be able to get some information on who the scientists were that had hurt her and where she had come from. But unfortunately we tripped the alarms and they captured me. Briefly, that is. Raph came back and busted me out. Even though I'd ordered him to leave without me and get to safety. We got down underground and the Shell Raiser broke down. We had to walk. And unfortunately, _she_ followed us." Leo suddenly found himself unable to say any more. He choked a little, before looking to Michelangelo.

Mikey's muscles tensed so much that he began to shake. Leatherhead put a hand on the orange-masked turtle's shoulder and he smiled gratefully at his gator friend. "Thanks LH…Well, she followed us. And we led her to the tunnel junction so that we could surprise her. She…she started threatening us. She said that she was going to get revenge on all 'mutant freaks' starting with the 'lizard who ruined her life.' She figured out that we knew who she was talking about and she started threatening us. Leo got real mad. When he was captured by those scientists they drugged him with something and so he wasn't at his best. She started threatening us even more, because she was trying to get Leo angry. Leo charged her, but Raph acted faster and pushed Leo out of the way just as she pulled out some kind of shock-gun thingy. The shot hit Raph and he…he screamed." Mikey suddenly found his voice growing heavy in his chest. "She—she threw Raph down into the water…"

Slash growled, his eyes filled with absolute fury. "I'll kill her. I will make her pay." The turtles and the Mutanimals shuddered at the dark honesty in Slash's tone.

"I already did." All eyes were suddenly on Michelangelo.

Leonardo belatedly realized something else he had forgotten to relay to Master Splinter: Michelangelo's actions. But then, Mikey said something that shocked even him.

"But if you want to go in for seconds, I'm definitely going with. No one threatens my family and my friends. No one threatens my little sister. And no one, absolutely no one, hurts my big brothers. **No one**."

Once again the dark seriousness in Mikey's eyes made Leonardo shrink back. This side of his youngest brother was utterly terrifying. Cautiously, he put a hand on Mikey's shoulder. "Like I said then Mikey. You did enough. Now she has to live the ultimate shame: life as a freak."

"She deserves worse, Leo."

Was that Mikey's voice? Leo asked himself, unable to believe that this was really his little brother standing before him, saying these things.

"What is the meaning of this, my sons?"

"I attacked her Sensei." Mikey stated evenly, looking their father directly in the eyes. "She tossed Raphael down the sewer pipes. We lost him and she was responsible for it. I attacked her. I used my kusarigama."

Sensei's eyes widened a little and his lips tightened into a tense line.

"I…I struck her in the face. She will never see out of her left eye again. An eye for an eye. She hurt Raphael."

"Given the circumstances Michelangelo…I cannot fault you. Had I been there I cannot say that I myself would not have taken drastic action. But you should have informed me before now."

There was a brief moment of silence before Michelangelo finally went on. "I wanted to kill her Sensei. I wanted to make her suffer. I tried to…"

"Death would have been too good for her Mikey. Let her live out her life in her own personal hell."

Mikey nodded numbly and an uncomfortable silence settled over them all as they waited. Slash's eyes glanced away from the turtles and down the hall towards Rockwell's lab. He frowned thoughtfully. Mona Lisa would probably be inside for a while.

But that was okay. He now had a different direction to focus his attention: finding this 'scientist woman' and beating the shell out of her.

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Did you like it? What was your favorite part?**

 **Review Please!**

 **P.S. Next chapter we'll get to see Mona's reaction to Raph's condition. And then…we'll see… (evil planning face accompanied by evil witchlike cackle). I love leaving you guys in suspense!**

 **Thanks again for all your love and support everyone! And I promise that the next chapter won't take this long!**


	27. Going Rogue

**Well here it is! Enjoy everyone! This is a long and suspenseful chapter!**

* * *

 **Ch. 27-Going Rogue**

It was just another day of regular, boring, old school. April sighed and brushed her bangs away from her face. She felt someone come over and fall into step beside her. She didn't even have to look up to know it was Casey. "Hey Casey, what's up?"

"Aw, nothin'. I was just gonna head over to the rink and practice my long distance shots." He said with a shrug. There was an awkward lull in the conversation after that. They walked out of the school side by side and continued down the block. April made her way down the street at a leisurely pace and Casey continued to plod along beside her. She let out a surprised yelp when Jones snagged her arm and suddenly tugged her into an alley. "Casey! What are you—?"

"Chill, Red. I just…" Casey glanced around warily. There was no one in the alley but them. Good. But he whispered anyway just to be safe. "…wanted to ask if you've heard anything from the turtles. It's been like, days!"

"They've been quiet for longer." April pointed out making Casey pause with a contemplative frown.

"Yeah…I guess so…but don't you think we should just stop by? And what about your kuno-whatsit stuff? Aren't you supposed to train every day?"

April replied evenly. "My dad said that since Finals Week is coming up I have to devote more time to my classes and less to my training. Master Splinter wasn't too pleased to hear that, but he was very reasonable about it. I've been so busy cramming and working on projects I haven't really had time to go down much."

Casey frowned at that. "Well I'm gonna go down. I know they've been quiet before but I just—I've got this feeling that something's not right this time. So Red, you comin' or what?"

April sighed. "Alright. Let's go."

They walked slowly down the tunnels towards the turtles' lair. The closer they got, the tenser April became. She was slowly starting to think Casey was right.

Casey hopped deftly over the turnstiles and down the stairs into the main room and glanced around. There was nobody there, which was unusual. One of the guys was almost always out watching television. Unless something big was going down. April's eyes scanned the empty room thoughtfully, but the moment she reached the foot of the stairs images flashed in her mind and she cringed.

"You okay, Red?" Casey asked worriedly as he caught her by the forearms. The fear in her eyes made his grip tighten.

"You were right Casey. Something's wrong." April said, her voice breathy and spooked. "Something happened but I—I don't…know what." She strained to use her powers further, but failed to learn anything more.

Casey's face was grim. "So what do we do?"

"We try calling them." April said evenly, her hands shaking as she pulled out her t-phone and dialed in the call.

* * *

The turtles all jumped as the chime of Leo's t-phone suddenly interrupted them. Leo removed it from his belt and checked the caller ID before answering it. "April!"

Donatello's attention was suddenly riveted to his older brother as he struggled to hear the other end on the conversation.

 _"Leo! Where are you guys?! What's going on? Are you guys okay?"_

Leo didn't even bother asking how they had realized something was wrong. In everything that was happening he had completely forgotten to inform their human friends of what was going on. He rubbed his temples with two fingers as he realized their human friends were yet another thing he would have to take into consideration now that they had a wacked out scientist chasing after them.

 _"Leo? Leo? You there?"_

"Yeah. We're alright." He replied. Then in a much quieter voice he muttered. "As we can be given the current situation." With yet another sigh the eldest turtle made a decision. They couldn't keep April and Casey in the dark any longer. It wouldn't be safe for either of them. "Where are you?"

 _"At the lair."_

Leo narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Alright. Stay there, I'll come and get you. Leo out."

As soon as Leo hung up on the call he grabbed his katanas and headed straight for the door. Donnie caught him by the shoulder. "I'll go with you."

The leader shook his head. "No. It'll be better if I go alone." The look in his dark blue eyes booked no argument and Donatello had no choice but to secede.

Before Mikey and Don could even say 'be careful' their older brother was gone.

* * *

Leonardo navigated swiftly and silently through the tunnels with the precision and dexterity of the ninja he was. The New York sewers were a vast labyrinth of tunnels, ducts and drainage, but he easily found his way back to the lair. Casey and April were seated on the couch with the television turned off, looking tense and uncomfortable. Leo's eyes were white with focus as he floated soundlessly up through the water and into his home. "April." He called, making both humans jump up and turn rapidly around to face him.

"Leo!" Both of them said simultaneously, rushing over to his side.

"Dude, what's going on? Where is everyone?" Casey asked impatiently.

Leo said nothing in reply, instead motioning for them to follow.

April did as Leo asked, staring worriedly at him. "Leo?"

"Follow me. I'll explain on the way." He replied curtly, leading them out into the subway tunnels. Both humans noticed the way Leo's muscles tensed and his eyes darted about vigilantly. "Keep up and be vigilant." He grumbled roughly.

Only after they were once again in a remote area of the sewers did Leo slow his pace. April and Casey both sighed with relief since keeping up with Leo while he was in 'ninja mode' was easier said than done. "We can talk here." He stated.

"Well, finally!" Casey exclaimed frustratedly. "What's the shell is goin' on, dude?!"

With his carapace to the humans, Leo answered slowly. "We decided it was time to make an intel-raid on the human base where we found Mona Lisa. We wanted to see if we could find any info on her background, or the name of the scientist who'd hurt her."

April and Casey exchanged nervous glances. They didn't like where this was going.

"What happened?" April asked.

"Their tech was more advanced than we suspected. They captured me."

They both gasped and froze in shock for a moment. Leo kept right on walking and the two humans had to jog to catch up with him again.

"Whoa, Leo, hold up." Casey jogged his way in front of the turtle and stopped, forcing Leo to grind to a halt.

"We really need to keep moving Casey." Leo stated, trying to push past hockey-obsessed teenager.

Casey refused to yield. "Just hold on for a second. How did you—"

"Raph got Mikey and Donnie to the Shell Raiser before returning and breaking me out. I was drugged and weak, but overall undamaged. We were heading home when the Shell Raiser broke down. We had to walk the rest of the way. Come on, let's get moving." This time Casey let Leo pass and they slowly made their way through the dark, dank tunnels. After a short pause Leo continued. "We started to make our way back to the lair when we realized we were being followed. We led our mysterious 'friend' to the tunnel junction, hoping to wash them away the way we did Xever and Bradford. Turns out she was a scientist who worked at the research facility who hates mutants with a passion. She said that she would destroy us all, starting with 'the lizard that ruined her life'."

April gasped. "Mona Lisa?"

Leo nodded solemnly. "Needless to say Raphael didn't take that comment particularly well. None of us did."

"I hope you guys beat the crud out of her for saying that!" Casey said heatedly.

Forest green feet slowed their pace. Leo's eyes fell to the ground. This was the hardest part to talk about. "Donnie and I were concealed in the shadows since I was still a little bit drugged up and weakened. No one threatens my brothers and Mona like that. I went head to head and issued an ultimatum. I told her that if she hurt my family I would kill her."

Suddenly the only sound was the scritch-scratch of sewer rats and sloshing of the water in the tunnels. April and Casey stared with wide eyes at the oldest turtle. They had never heard Leo speak so darkly and with so much anger. Despite their shock, Leonardo went on. "She acted accordingly. I had unintentionally bared my greatest weakness: my family. She realized that by threatening them she could control me. So she continued to threaten them. She knew that I would take action. She knew that I would never leave those threats unanswered. I don't know how she saw through me so clearly, but she did. And I did exactly what she wanted. I lunged at her."

Two sets of eyes stared intently at Leo's face, waiting in suspense. The blue-masked turtle lowered his eyes to the ground, knowing that he would be unable to bear the emotions that were about to flash across their features as he went on. "We should have realized that a scientist from such a hi-tech laboratory would be carrying advanced weaponry. But we didn't." The brief silence that followed that statement was completely overpowering.

When Casey tried to speak he found that his throat had suddenly gone completely dry.

After finally gathering and containing all of his raging emotions, Leonardo finally found the strength to go on. "I charged and she pulled out a gun. Raph acted like lightning." He heard their breath hitch. He could envision the horrified looks on their faces, but he dared not raise his eyes. "He—he—" Forest green hands shook with the force of his emotions. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "He screamed…He screamed." Leo repeated, his eyes clouding slightly as his mind projected an instant replay. He abruptly shook it away. "He fell and she…she opened the valves and held him over the torrent. She—she…dropped him." Belatedly, Leo realized that he had slowed to stop. Tears began to wet his cheeks and he cursed, shaking his head and resuming his brisk pace.

"Leo!" April cried out, with tears in her eyes, and pain in her voice. The turtle's sudden movement snapped her out of her petrified state and she rushed after him, putting a hand on her shoulder and roughly yanking him around. When she saw the tears in his eyes she threw her arms around him and squeezed tightly.

Casey had stilled at Leo's final words and remained that way, as though his mind could not absorb what it had just been told. When it finally did, he took three long strides over to April and Leo's side. Finally, the blue-masked turtle and the redheaded human pulled apart and Jones took the opportunity to shoot forward and grab the mutant roughly by the shoulders. "What happened to Raph?!" Leo didn't respond fast enough for his liking and he repeated frantically, "Leo, what happened to Raph?!"

Leo slumped. "We searched for days and found nothing. Finally Slash showed up at lair saying that Leatherhead had found Raph in the sewers, barely alive. Rockwell and Donnie did their best. But there's still a chance he may never wake up. Now all we can do is wait."

Both humans were silent. Leo resumed walking and made note of their location. "We're almost there." He stated softly.

Casey followed sullenly. The thought that his best bud might never wake up made him feel sick. And angry. No, not just angry, downright furious. The turtles were like a second family to him. And nobody hurts Casey Jones's friends like that. "That scientist chick is gonna pay!"

A dark growl escaped Leo's lips and he nodded in agreement.

* * *

The turtles, the Mutanimals, April, Casey and Master Splinter were all gathered in the main room of the Mutanimals' lair.

Leonardo shoved his emotions aside as he slipped into full leader mode. "Alright. Obviously I've gathered you all here because we need to determine a course of action."

Slash cut in with little preamble. "The Mutanimals and I have already discussed this. We're prepared to confront this scientist and determine what she is up to."

Leo's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He glanced at Donnie, then at Mikey. "We're going with you."

With a light cough Master Splinter brought silence to the room before he spoke. "My sons, you are still short a brother. It is not safe for the three of you to risk another confrontation with this scientist until he has recovered."

The three turtles deflated at their father's words.

"But Sensei that could take months!" April pointed out.

"Months that the turtles may not have before this weird chick finds them." Casey added.

"Then maybe we take a different approach. Perhaps if we could break into the research facility again I could hack in and get more data on Mona and the scientists that experimented on her." Don suggested.

Leonardo glared. "That's exactly what we tried to do last time Donnie."

"And we almost lost Leo." Mikey added, glancing worriedly between his purple and blue-masked siblings. "It's too risky bro."

Donnie frowned. "Without any background information any attempt we make at confronting this scientist will be completely blind. If we had her file we could use that information to our advantage!"

"That is very true. Our chances of success would be much higher if—" Rockwell began, but was suddenly cut off by a suggestion from Leatherhead.

"Perhaps it would be best to find her and study her movements from afar to gain insight." Leatherhead's suggestion was immediately countered by Casey and Slash, who both wanted to go in 'guns blazing' so to speak. That suggestion was immediately thwarted by Leonardo and April who insisted on executing a precise planned attack.

"Enough!" Master Splinter bellowed as everyone began to argue. Everyone went silent yet again. "My sons, we will stay here until Raphael has healed. Then and only then shall we seek to destroy this scientist."

The turtles sighed in resignation. Splinter's tone was firm. He was not letting any of them take action until Raphael was at least out of danger.

Slash's eyes narrowed. As much as he respected Master Splinter, he didn't have to respect the old rat's orders. He turned away from the turtles and his eyes landed on the face of Dr. Rockwell. He raised an eye-ridge.

Rockwell had a curious expression on his face.

Slash did his best to follow the monkey-man's gaze. When he pinpointed the subject of Rockwell's stare, his lips bent down into a frown. Hmm…

* * *

 **I'm sure you can figure out whose POV this is…eventually.**

Sensei's tone says that any objections would be useless. He's not going to let us go after this scientist until Raphael has healed. It isn't just because Raphael is down. It's because we're all deeply affected. Physically and emotionally. We aren't strong enough to risk a confrontation right now. Sensei knows that. So do I. But I can't sit around and do nothing. One way or another, I have to take action.

I don't like looking for trouble, but I'm afraid that at this point it's the only option. That scientist woman is a serious threat and we won't be able to defeat her without some kind of leverage. We know almost nothing about her and we need more information before we can just go charging in.

Scientists are a force to be reckoned with and now that we've seen what this one is capable of, I know that she won't be defeated easily. That electric shock pistol is probably one of the milder gadgets stashed in that utility belt she was wearing. And if her goal really is to rid the world of mutants, I have no doubt that she has more than enough tech to do just that. Any fight without further insight has a high chance of backfiring. We need more information.

And it looks like I'm the only turtle willing to get it. I find myself suddenly faced with a very difficult decision. Probably one of the most difficult I've ever encountered. I need to choose: follow Splinter's orders, or take what I believe to be the correct course of action. Though I have occasionally struck off on my own in the past, it was never to this magnificent a scale. But perhaps the time has come to take a note from Raph and rebel. That's it. I've decided.

I'm going rogue.

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

Very early that morning, a turtle swept out of the Mutanimals' lair and moved noiselessly through the sewers, his shoulders and head cloaked by tarnished, pale-grey fabric, his face hidden beneath a stark white mask. He had no doubt that this mission would require that he give everything he had therefore spirit gear had seemed appropriate.

As he moved his mind repeatedly flickered back to his brothers and Master Splinter. If they woke up and found out he was gone… _No. That's not going to happen. I'll complete my mission and be back before they know it. And in the morning they won't even suspect a thing._

He nodded, reassuring himself of the fact as he went on. Finally he made his way up to the streets. Dashing up a fire escape and hopping to the roofs, he began running parallel to the street. He'd taken the long way around so that he could pause on the building opposite where he'd have cover from the security cameras. He pulled out his t-phone. Unbeknownst to his brothers, he'd spent the afternoon working on a code that would allow him to hack into and override the research lab's security systems for a ten-minute window. Only problem was he had to upload it directly into the system. So he hopped onto the roof of the lab, making certain that he was behind the cameras at all times. He bent down behind one and used a small knife from his belt to cut through the large tube that concealed the inside wiring. After a little scrambling he was able to get his t-phone connected to the security system and upload the override code.

Okay good, the cameras were taken care of. But he knew that his code would not shut down the automatic alarm that had thwarted him and his brothers the last time they were here. Which meant he had to find a way in that didn't involve breaking a lock. Some quiet chatter made Donnie glance down to see some guards passing by on their rounds. He smirked. Even if they had a weapon advantage, Donatello was a ninja.

The warrior of the shadows dropped down and pounced, knocking them both out with a hard knocks on the head from his bō. After using the rope he'd brought to bind them up, Don tossed the unconscious guards in the convenient dumpster right next to them, but not before snagging one of their entry passes and plasma guns. The purple-masked turtle wasn't incredibly fond of guns, but in his current situation he decided that it would be a decent precaution.

Donnie slowly made his way around to the back entrance, making certain to stay in the shadows just in case anyone was around. Since he'd already overridden the security cameras, he could approach the door without fear of being seen. The code he'd uploaded made sure that the cameras would display the last thing they'd had in their sights just before he'd uploaded it. A quick swipe of the entry pass and the door slid open. Still focused and alert, Don made his way inside. Luckily for him, the last time they'd come he'd been able to download a building schematic when he'd hacked the locks. So he knew exactly where he was headed: the record room. Located deep in the centermost part of the building. Getting in there wasn't going to be easy, but he hadn't come this far to go back empty handed.

The way to the records room was much more deserted than he expected. Suddenly he realized that their recent break in and escape must have put most of the research on hold until working conditions were once again deemed 'secure'. He stopped in front of the records room and looked skeptically down at the entry pass. He wasn't sure that the guard would have access to this kind of information, but his ten-minute time window was already almost halfway gone so he swiped it anyway. Thankfully, it seemed as though he had taken a card from a high-ranking security officer with access, because once again the door swung open. He made his way inside and was not the least bit surprised that there were not actual files, only a single computer with a giant monitor. It was already powered up.

Don wasted no time in putting his technical knowledge to work. He hacked his way in and searched Mona Lisa's project number: SX71364. His fingers trembled a little as he read. He plugged in a flash drive and began downloading the complete project file. Downloaded. Good. Then his eyes caught something: Research project head: Professor Rouge Knight. He found her personnel file and downloaded that as well. He was about to download the files of the other scientists on the project when—

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

~Intruder Alert~ BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP ~Attention! Intruder Alert~

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Did you like it? What was your favorite part?**

 **Review Please!** **J**


	28. BUSTED!

**Sorry it took so long everyone, but I'm bogged down with finals! I just managed to whip this one up real quick in between papers. Don't worry my break is coming up and I'll be writing a lot more then! (Oh and this is in Don's POV)**

* * *

 **Ch. 28-BUSTED!**

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

~Intruder Alert~ BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP ~Attention Intruder Alert~

Aw Shell! Looks like that ten minute stall turned out to be only about seven and a half minutes. Urgh! Seriously, what is it about this place? It's like our turtle luck is even stronger here! I eject the drive from the computer and yank it out. My hands are shaking with terror as I stuff the drive into a pocket on my belt, my eyes frantically scanning the room as the alarms continue to blare. I shoot out the door, only to find myself on the wrong end of four charging plasma guns. Shell. I'm a goner! Man, Leo and the others are gonna be so pissed when they find out about this!

Despite my better judgment, I close my eyes as shots ring through the air. But I open them again as soon as I realize that I haven't been hit. I belatedly discover that the sound of the shots must have masked the sound of bodies hitting the floor because all four of the armed guards were now lying motionless at my feet. What the shell?! I look up to find Dr. Rockwell hanging down from a ventilation grate.

"Donatello! Come on, we have to get out here!" He said urgently. I nodded. Rockwell was right. There was no time to waste. He used his telekinesis to lift me up into the ventilation system and we crawled rapidly through the ducts until we came out on the roof. Rockwell looked puzzled. "This should have taken us to the back on the building, not the roof."

I growled. "This entire place is one big booby-trap."

"Freeze!" Someone yelled.

Rockwell and I turned just in time to see another quartet of armed guards running towards us.

"There has to be a way out of this!" I whispered to Rockwell as we both began backing towards the edge of the roof, doing the best we could to evade the guards' plasma fire.

I glanced over at Rockwell and realized that he was glancing down at something in the alley. He looked me in the eyes. "When I say jump, jump. Ready…"

I avoided a plasma shot and turned back to him, confused. "Wait…wha—"

"JUMP!"

He dragged me over the edge of the building and we both plummeted downwards. I screamed and kept on screaming until…I realized that Rockwell was slowly lowering me to the ground. Phew. That was way too close. A plasma gun shot from above landed right next to my foot and I jumped, glancing back up at the roof above. We aren't out of the woods yet. I grabbed Rockwell and two of us made a break for the wall.

One minute I was running, and the next I was being bowled over by a huge amount of force striking my shell. I fell flat on my plastron with an oomph. Shell! I looked up and saw that Rockwell had turned at my cry. He returned to my side and began pulling me up. Guards began streaming out of the building and opening fire on us. We both froze. No! We won't make it! We won't be able to make it!

A loud battle cry broke our stupor as Slash barreled in, shielding us from plasma fire with his giant, spiked shell. "What the shell are you two waiting for?! GO!"

We nodded and wasted no time in scaling the wall. Slash followed and the three of us landed roughly in the street outside. The giant, mutant turtle grabbed me by the shell and Rockwell by the neck and dragged us backwards into the shadows just as a couple of guards came running around the corner, heading towards the gates. Once they were far enough away, Slash dragged us both through the dark alleyways until we reached a large grate where we could enter the sewers.

I glance curiously from Slash to Rockwell. All of us are silent. At least until we are deep within the labyrinth of sewer tunnels.

"What the shell did you think you were doing?!" Slash asked angrily. "You could have been killed! Or worse captured! Or even worse, that woman who injured Raphael could have gotten her hands on you!"

I frowned and glared at Slash. "It isn't Rockwell's fault. It was my idea. I was the one that came up with the plan to get inside, I was the one who wanted to get my hands on the intel. I didn't ask Rockwell to go with me."

Slash returned my glare. "It doesn't matter. He made the decision to go even after he realized what you were up to and he didn't tell the others! And that decision almost got both of you fried!"

There was a short silence.

"I see no sense in being hypocritical." Rockwell stated.

"What?" Slash growled as he whirled around to face the monkey mutant.

I cringed at the danger in his tone and glanced at Rockwell. I gotta admit, Rockwell's got a lot of guts mouthing off to Slash like that. Especially considering that Slash theoretically could have left us to get fried back there.

"I don't see any of the others anywhere around here. So clearly you didn't inform them of what was going on."

I blinked as I realized that Rockwell was right. If Slash had told Sensei and my brothers what we were planning, they never would have sent Slash out to rescue us all by himself.

Slash looked away. "I didn't know for certain what was going on. That's why I followed you. After the two of you went in I decided to hang back and see whether or not you'd be able to get yourselves out of there. Obviously, I had to step in."

"But not until the very end." I pointed out.

Slash sighed. "You're family is worried enough as it is, Donatello. How do you think they're going to feel when they find out you almost got captured tonight?"

I gulped, knowing that Slash was right. Of course, Sensei and Leo will be furious. But they'll probably be even more frantic about whether or not I was injured at all. And with one family member gravely injured, the last thing we need is another one. I sighed.

"Not only that, but I suppose you realized that without you or Rockwell present Raphael is not being monitored."

My heart leapt into my mouth. _Oh shell! Slash is right!_ I'd been so distracted by the heat of the chase that I hadn't realized that Raph would be. Oh no. I burst into a sprint, the two Mutanimals yelling and taking off after me.

* * *

I ran all the way back to their lair at my top speed, bursting in and rushing quietly down the hall, being careful as I could so that I wouldn't wake my other family members. I entered Rockwell's lab slowly. The first sound that greeted my ears was the steady beep of the heart monitor and I let out a relieved sigh as I made my over to my injured brother's side. I took one of his hands in mine and spoke softly to him. "Hang in there, Raph. I'm here for you bro. Sorry I was gone so long. I had to take care of a few things. But don't worry, I'm fine and I got what I needed. I promise, we'll get the woman who did this to you." I squeezed his hand tightly and looked down at the ground as I whispered softly. "I hope you wake up soon, buddy."

I could feel Rockwell and Slash's eyes on me. They had entered some time during my short speech to Raph and were standing just inside the door. Just as I was about to pull away, my mind racing with the possible information my downloads could provide, I was rudely shocked back to the real world as one of Raph's fingers twitched. I did a double take. Then I jumped to my feet and looked down at Raph's face. There was nothing and no more twitched. Huh. I'm probably so fatigued that I imagined it.

But just as that thought crossed my mind, Raph's nose wrinkled a little and his eyes screwed shut tighter.

I leant in close to him and whispered gently, "Raph?"

His snout wrinkled and his eyes closed tighter once again.

My voice was soft, overjoyed and thrilled as I tried to encourage him. "Come on Raph! Open your eyes!"

I could feel Slash tensing behind me as he watched with bated breath. Rockwell moved over to the other side of the lab table and appeared to be checking Raph's vitals.

"Come on Raph, let me see those green eyes." I murmured encouragingly.

Finally, after almost a full two minutes of this, emerald green eyelids cracked open just enough that I could catch a glimpse of his bright green irises. The corner of his mouth tilted upward every so slightly. I let out a sigh of relief. I could feel the tears of joy in my eyes. I squeezed his hand gently. "You're going to be okay, Raph. You're going to be okay."

Raphael's eyes closed and he seemed to slip back into sleep, but the fingers of his uninjured hand gently curled around my hand and I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. I instantly understood: Raphael was agreeing with me.

Now that my hotheaded brother is sound asleep I turn back to Slash and Rockwell. "So…are you going to tell the others?"

"That Raphael has finally shown responsiveness?" Rockwell asked for clarification.

I shook my head. "No. I'll tell them that in the morning. I meant are you going to tell what happened tonight?"

They both frowned, but Rockwell turned to Slash and I grimaced as I realized that the final decision would be completely up to him. He sighed. "No. I won't. At least, not yet. Better that Raph's recovery be first and foremost on your family's minds right now."

Rockwell nodded approvingly at Slash's decision. "I agree."

"Now then, if you two won't be needing me to save your tails anymore tonight, I think I'll try and get some sleep." The larger mutant turtle murmured, heading for the door as we both murmured our goodnights.

I resumed my seat at Raph's side. Rockwell paused to glance thoughtfully at me. "You do realize that he probably will not awaken again tonight."

"Hm."

He frowned at me. "I suppose there is no way I will be able to convince you to go to bed?"

"None whatsoever." I answered firmly without even looking at him.

He sighed. "Very well. Goodnight." He began to head for the door, but at the last second he turned. "Oh, and Donatello?"

"Hm?" I mumbled, staring so thoughtfully at Raphael's face that I barely took notice of his words.

"Next time you decide to break into an human research facility you should take extra precautions. There might not be another genius on hand to save your shell."

I actually looked up as his words finally registered, but he was already gone. I smiled. At least I know I'll always have a rival in Rockwell. I turned back to Raph and sighed softly, laying my head down on the table, by his side and absent-mindedly fingering the flash-drive in my hands. Then my eyes slowly moved over to Rockwell's computer, then back to the drive in my hand and then back to the computer. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try and get a little bit of reading done…

* * *

 **Well, how was it? What do you think about Slash's decision to keep Don's 'mission' a secret from the family? Review Please!**


	29. After the Fall

**Sorry it took so long. Been doing a lot of work on A Brother's Intuition lately. Took longer to get to this one than I thought, but I still have a week and four days left before I go back to school, so hopefully I will get a few more chapters out before then! Anyway, here's the chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ch. 29-After the Fall**

No, no, no…Please no…Raph….

 _Slipping away,_

 _Falling just out of reach,_

 _So close yet so far,_

 _Fingers brush,_

 _One falls, one fails._

"No, Raph!" Leonardo sat up in bed, wiping the cold sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He sighed and fell back into his pillow. With every passing day it was taking him longer and longer to get up in the morning. He couldn't help it.

Over the past week or so he had learned the agony his family had gone through while he was unconscious in the bathtub at the farmhouse. Now he knew why Raph had seemed so different when he finally woke up. Raph was their rock, their strength, when Leo was feeble. And now, Leonardo had to fulfill that role. Damn. It was hard. It was so hard keep his strength in the face of what was going on. He had a new respect for Raphael now that he knew what his younger sibling had been through.

But as much as he'd like to believe that he now knew how Raphael and the others had felt. He really couldn't imagine. Sure, he was worried about Raphael, they all were, but he still had Sensei to lean on. Raphael hadn't had that, and yet he'd still managed to keep the others in shape and under control until Leo had awoken. Leo finally rolled out of bed, planted his feet solidly on the floor and stood. It was time to face another day.

Almost the second he stepped out the door of his room he was accosted by Mona Lisa. She greeted him with a grim smile and a hug. He gave her a wan smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. "How long have you been up?"

Mona signed to him, eagerly, 'Since early. Slash and I got up when it was still dark and went out to get food!'

Though he wasn't too thrilled that Slash had risked taking her to the surface, Leo couldn't help but smile at how excited she was. He decided to have a little fun with her since she was in such a good mood. He rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, the Mighty Mutanimals' fridge is now filled with carrots?"

Mona smiled and nodded eagerly, clinging to his arm and dragging him towards the main room. For the first time in the past week, Leo laughed. As they walked in, everyone in the room looked up at them. They stopped and Leo raised an eye-ridge. "What's going on?" He asked, a little concerned as he saw that everyone was seated in a semi-circle around Donatello.

The purple-masked sibling turned to him. "Oh good, you're up! I'm really sorry that I didn't do this earlier, but I didn't get very good sleep last night and I'm afraid I slept in."

That made Leonardo frown. Donnie had gone to bed early last night. He'd have to talk to his little brother after this meeting and make sure the brainiac was okay. He and Mona took a seat beside Slash. "Don't worry about it, Donnie. What's up?"

Donnie smiled at Leo's tense, worried expression. He answered, flatly, "In the early, very early, hours of this morning, Raphael reached a rather muddled state of consciousness. It looks like he's going to be alright."

The look on Leo's face was one that Donatello would remember for years to come. Astonishment, concern, bewilderment, and extreme relief left Leo looking somewhat like a gob-smacked puffer fish.

A big, beautiful smile spread across Mona's face and she sprang forward, taking hold of Donnie's arm, her eyes pleading with him. Don smiled a little and patted her on the shoulder. "Sure, you can stay with him until he wakes up again." Mona lifted herself up on her toes, using her tail for extra balance, and kissed Donatello loudly on the cheek. He chuckled and blushed a little as she disappeared into the lab.

Michelangelo smirked. "Be glad that Raph wasn't here to see that. He'd be clobbering you."

Leo smiled, suddenly feeling ten tons lighter than he had just a few minutes ago. The heavy weight that doubt had placed on his chest was gone. He was free. His brother was going to be fine. "Under the circumstances," he murmured, making his little brothers turn to face him, "I don't think Raph would mind."

Mikey glanced off in the direction of the lab. "Should we join her in welcoming Raph back from yet another very near escape?" The words were meant as a joke, like a line in one of Mikey's comic books, but the light-hearted tone in his voice felt flat. The statement was just a fraction too close to the truth.

Shaking his head, Leo put a hand on Mikey's shoulder. "No. When Raph does wake up again, they'll need some time."

Off to the side, Slash's eyes landed on the door of the lab and a small frown curved down at his lips. He nodded, more to himself than to anyone else. Yes, Leonardo was right. From now on, Raphael would need Mona Lisa more than anyone else.

* * *

Inside the lab the dull beeping of the monitor was slowly putting Mona Lisa to sleep. She, too, had not gotten very good sleep the night before, but instead of sleeping in she had gotten up early. When Slash had said he was going on a supply run, she had jumped at the chance to escape. It wasn't that she disliked the sewers. In fact over the past few months she'd spent with the turtles, they had become her home. But the tense, brooding atmosphere that filled the Mighty Mutanimals' lair since Raphael had been injured had really taken its toll on her. She was yearning for a change of scenery. As much as she wanted to stay by Raphael's side, both Leo and Slash had pointed out to her on separate occasions that Raph would not want her being so upset. So she had decided that she wouldn't cling. In a way, that made things a little easier on her. It was much easier, when she was out doing something else, to remember Raphael the way he was before his injuries, before that woman…

In any case, Mona Lisa had decided that she would much rather see Raphael like that and hold her hope close to her heart that he would be that way again, rather than seeing him only as the pale, injured creature on the lab table. As Mona's eyelids began to get heavy, she rested her hands on her arms, which were folded atop the cool metal of the lab table. With a sleepy yawn, one of her hands lifted and tenderly brushed Raphael's cheek. He was warm. Her eyelids dropped and she was about to drop off, when she realized the warm cheek was following her hand, pressing into it. She shot upright and accidentally knocked down some tools, which landed with noisy clangs on the floor.

Mona glanced down at the tools, a little bit dazed, then she glanced back at Raphael. Her eyes widened. Raph's neon green eyes were silently sizing her up. The corner of his mouth was turned upwards. He looked amused. His grin made her heart swell. "Miss me?" He asked weakly.

She didn't grace that question with an answer. At least, not verbally or with sign. She surged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and slamming her lips onto his.

He blinked a little as the air was knocked out of him, but it wasn't long before Raphael was softly returning the kiss. His lungs began to burn from over exertion and pushed her away a little. He tried to sit up but he was stopped short as searing, aching pain racked his frame. With a groan, the turtle fell back onto the cool, smooth surface of the table. Guilt flooded his heart as he turned to see Mona Lisa with a frown on her face. She looked like she was about to cry. "Mona…" He reached out to cup her face, but she stepped away, out of his reach, more tears clouding her beautiful brown eyes.

'You promised me! You said you'd come back okay!' She signed rapidly, her hands shaking.

Raph sighed and bit back the pain as he sat up. "Mona, I'm sorry. Those kinds of promises are hard to keep. And I never should have made it in the first place. Please, you have to try and understand…when I'm out there with my brothers I have to put them first." _Please Mona. Please just stop crying_.

She didn't stop crying. More tears tumbled down her cheeks, quickly replacing the ones welling up in the corners of her eyes. And then suddenly, her face was filled with anger. She stalked over to him and fiercely cupped his cheek before drawing away. Her lips curled back dangerously and Raphael had no doubt that if she were speaking, she'd be snarling at him.

'Did you think about me, Raphael? Did you even think about how I was going to feel when I found out? Did you even consider that by allowing yourself to get hurt, you were hurting me as well?' Mona gesticulated with angry punctuation. When she finally finished, her anger had gone and she tumbled forward, limply allowing herself to fall, throwing herself face-down into Raphael's lap. Mona lifted her legs up onto the table and rolled onto her back, still strewn across his lap. She gestured forlornly to the ceiling, knowing that Raphael would be able to understand her. Her movements were slow and weak. Her eyes were clouded over with a fog much thicker than tears. Raphael frowned.

'When they told me you could be dead…I wanted to die too. I wanted to.'

Strong hands took her shoulders in a vice grip, lifting her up, pressing her against a thick shell. "Don't."

She froze. Raph's voice, was he…? She looked up at his face. Raphael…He was crying. He had tears in his eyes. She stiffened a little, staring numbly at him as he held her to his plastron and wept. She could feel his tears wetting her hair, a few of them tumbling down her forehead. Slowly, Mona lifted her hand, bringing up to cup Raph's face.

He looked deep into her eyes. "Please, don't ever think that again. Please." Raphael begged with genuine desperation in his voice.

Mona Lisa stared back at him gravely. 'I've been thinking it for as long as I can remember. Every day, when I was in that place I would beg, I would plead for someone to simply end my pain. Back then the only reason for living, that I could see, was to suffer at the hands of the humans.'

More tears rolled down Raph's cheeks as he stared into the face of a woman he'd never met. He knew Mona the playful, Mona the scared, Mona the sweet, innocent young girl, but this was Mona the mature, Mona the war-torn. This was the first time he'd actually seen this side of her fully. He'd gotten a glimpse of it in the past, when she'd spoke of the human labs and the pain she'd endured, but that couldn't have possibly prepared him for this. Raphael's eyes widened and his hands slowly ran down from her sides and settled on her hips. "I love you." He murmured, wrapping his arms around her. "My family loves you. We can't lose you. I can't live without you."

She whirled around, pushing herself up onto her knees, straddling both of his legs. 'Then understand my position Raphael. Your loss would be my end.' Mona's lips slid softly against his once more, but she pulled away rapidly. 'You protect me in more ways than you possibly know.' She tucked her head under his chin, burrowing into his neck as she sobbed.

Raphael smiled and kissed her head, chuckling rather bitterly. His laughter got her attention. Mona looked up at him, her head slightly tilted with bewilderment. Raph smirked and whispered lowly into her ear between kisses as he pecked his way down her neck. "We're quite a pair, aren't we? We can't live without each other. I'm the only one who can save you from your past, and you're the only one who can save me from myself."

She blinked blankly at him. He smiled and shook his head, rolling his eyes. His hands smoothed over her hips, making Mona shiver, and not from the cold. She smirked darkly. Well, if that's the way Raph wanted to play…

A leaf green hand with dexterous fingers, danced lightly across the scar on his plastron, lightly stroking the sensitive tissue that lay just behind it. Raphael hummed, a devious sparkle in his bright green eyes.

"Is this a bad time?" A light, jeering voice asked from over by the door.

Raph shot his younger sibling a dark glare. He could tell by the tone that Donnie knew perfectly well it wasn't a good time. The brainiac would pay for that as soon as he was strong enough to jump of this bed and grab hold of that darn stick on his brother's back.

Donatello ignored the death glare, if he even noticed it at all. "I see you're sitting up already. Even though I told you last night that you needed to rest."

The hothead crossed his arms over his plastron. "And I see you're already stating the obvious. The prognosis must be pretty good then."

"It's fine." Don growled. He'd hope that Raph might be a little bit easier on him given the gravity of the situation, but apparently he'd been wrong. Raphael was just as difficult a patient as ever. "But you'll still have be on medical rest for at least one more week just to be safe."

"Don—"

"Don't argue with me, Raphael!" He bellowed, his voice coming out a long louder and lot angrier than he'd meant it to. He deflated and said much more softly, "It's a miracle you're even alive at all. So please, please, don't make this any harder than it has to be." Don looked down, ready for Raph to growl and yell in his face, but surprisingly, the harsh rebuke never came. When he looked up, he was stunned to find that Mona had extricated herself and moved to the side. More importantly, Raphael was holding his arms wide open.

Donatello frowned and shook his head slightly, but Raph's eyes were pleading. "Come on Donnie, I need it as much as you do." Raphael's voice sounded uncharacteristically saddened and weak.

Don just couldn't move fast enough. He propelled himself into his brother's arms with so much force that he nearly knocked the older turtle backwards. He hadn't meant to cry, but the next thing he knew, he was bawling.

Raph's heart ached as he listened to Donatello's soggy ramblings about Leo, Mikey and Sensei and about how the Mutanimals had found him and brought him here, wherever here was. He soothingly rubbed Donnie's shell as the brainiac rambled on and on and on. Poor Donnie. Raph sent Mona a gentle look and she nodded, leaving the two of them alone in the room. Donnie didn't break down like this very often, and the fewer people that were around, the better. The older turtle straightened a little as Donnie pulled away, staring down into the dark, brilliant brown gaze. "Donnie…what are you not telling me?" He asked slowly. He could sense it. He always could. Donatello confided in Raphael on a regular basis and Raphael could tell that there was something the smart turtle was holding back.

The purple masked turtle struggled to avoid Raph's eyes. "I can't."

"Donnie…" Raph called gently, holding eye contact as best he could to prove to his brother that he was in earnest.

A soft, barely audible whisper hit the air and dropped like a ton of bricks. "I went back."

Oh shell, how Raph hoped that didn't mean what he thought it meant. But one look in Donatello's eyes told him the answer: it did. Worry and terror clawed at his heart more urgently than ever. His hands ran frantically across his sibling's arms and shell as he searched for injuries. "Are you okay? Are you okay, Donnie? Are you hurt?"

Donatello stilled Raph's hands. "I'm fine. I got intel." He gasped as a stinging pain suddenly flooded his right cheek. A look at his brother confirmed his suspicions: Raphael had just slapped him.

"How could you be so careless?! I'd expect that kind of cockiness from Casey or, shell, even me, but you?! Donatello have you lost your mind?! You could have been killed! Or…" Raph's voice went below his breath. "…or worse."

"It was worth the risk." Don said evenly.

Raph grabbed his sibling by the shoulders and glared directly up at him. "No file is worth the price of your life!"

"Oh, but apparently it is worth all four of ours."

Raph glared.

Don rolled his eyes. "Come on, Raph. We all knew we were risking our lives when we went in there. I had to go back to get what we went for!"

If it were possible to have a pressure gauge for Raphael's temper, the needle would be well into the red. "Goddammit Donnie! If you'd gotten killed without any of us there to protect you it would tear us apart! How could you be so selfish?!"

The ice-cold stare Don sent him made Raph's heart stop. "You expect me to believe you wouldn't have done the same?"

Raph's reply was rock-hard. "Don't ever do anything like that ever again."

"You do things like that all the time." Don retorted, coldly.

"Exactly." Raphael internally smirked as he realized that he'd broken Donnie's composure. Then, with pure seriousness, Raph spoke. "You don't wanna end up like me, Don." With no further ado, he pulled his stunned younger sibling into his arms once again, savoring the feeling of closeness, relieved and ecstatic that Donatello was alive and well.

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Review Please!**


	30. Come Closer

**Well, here's another chapter! Yay!**

* * *

 **Ch. 30-Come Closer**

Leonardo shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Mona Lisa had come out of the lab and given him a sweet smile, but that did little to calm his nerves. He'd heard some yelling, but he couldn't make out what was being said. It had been quiet for a while now, but when he pressed his ear up against the door it sounded like Raph and Donnie were having an argument. That was to be expected, after all, Raphael didn't take being put on bed rest lying down. The eldest turtle face-palmed. He hadn't exactly meant it to come out quite like that. It was actually a very Mikey-esque statement.

He really shouldn't be here at all. He should be giving Donnie and Raph the space they needed, but Leonardo was desperate. He needed to see his brother. He just had to. The sound of low murmuring voices stopped and Leo tensed. He was a little bit worried, even though he knew there was no real reason to be. Slowly and tentatively, Leo slid the door open. He froze in the doorway and immediately felt guilt beginning to creep over him.

Raphael was holding Donatello in a tight embrace, which Donnie was returning full force. Leonardo realized that he had stepped in on a very private moment between his younger siblings. All he could do was stand there staring like an idiot. He knew he should move, or at the very least make up an excuse to leave, but he couldn't. His mouth was completely dry. Leo flinched as he realized that both of his brothers were staring at him.

Raphael tried to protest as Don extricated himself from the hug and began to walk away, but as soon as Raph's eyes met Leo's, any objections went unsaid. The brainiac masked his emotions as he glanced from Leo to Raph. The older turtles looked as though they couldn't decide whether to fight or hug each other to death. Donnie stiffened. Raph wasn't done talking with him, he knew that, but now was not the time. His eyes steeled over. The unresolved tension between his two older brothers was palpable. He could feel it. All of a sudden Donatello's longing and desperation returned. He had to get out of here. He had to leave before whatever the shell was about to happen happened. But his legs wouldn't move. He was a fly stuck in middle of a spider's web. A whimper escaped him, and suddenly all of Raph's attention was once again on him.

"Donnie? You okay?" Raph asked with concern.

Donatello noted the way that Leo's eyes stayed glued to Raphael. Luckily for him, the break ebbed away a little of the tension and he was able to cobble together, "I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about." He quickly scurried out of the room, not realizing that Raph was staring worriedly after him.

The worried pout quickly melted into a tight line, just millimeters away from being a frown, as Raph turned to face Leo once again. Uneasiness began to turn his stomach as Leo continued to stare wordlessly at him. Leonardo had always been a paradox. To Raph, the eldest turtle had always been the easiest, yet the hardest of his brothers to read.

Leo had a very bad habit of stuffing all his emotions behind an impenetrable mask. And now, as ocean blue clashed with neon green, Leo's mask was his advantage. But as Raphael had observed, Leo was both the hardest and the easiest of to read. All Raph had to do was wait, bide his time, and sooner or later Leo's composure would crack. Sadly, as much as he hated to admit it, Raph knew that the only way he'd be able to get past Leo's Fearless façade was by direct confrontation. The younger turtle frowned and was pulled from his thoughts when Leo took a few steps towards him.

"You're up." Leo said coldly.

Anger began to bubble in Raph's gut at Leo's tone. Why the shell did the older turtle have to be so damn controlled all the time? "Brilliant observation." He muttered, trying and failing to keep the resentment out of his voice. Raph internally sighed as his older brother stiffened.

Frustration flashed through Leo's eyes. Raph's tone really stung, but he hid his hurt. Before he could stop it, all the anger, all the worry, all the stress from the past couple weeks flooded him and he completely lost it. He stomped over to Raph's side and forcefully grabbed his younger sibling by the neck more tightly than he meant to. "Five fucking days, Raphael." The eldest turtle growled dangerously

Raph's eyes were impossibly wide. Leonardo almost never cussed. The hothead's anger was out the window. He had to admit, Leo was really, really close to scaring him right now. His neck ached uncomfortably at the harsh angle Leo was forcing him to maintain. He wanted to shift, but the fiery rage burning in Leo's eyes made him think twice. Raph could do nothing but meet his older brother's gaze as Leo went on.

"Five fucking days you were lost in the sewers. We had no idea whether you were alive or dead. All we had was hope. You were alive when Leatherhead found you. Logically, no one in your condition could have survived that long." Leo's ice-cold tone was back, but his fury was clear in the way his eyes glinted and his fingers maintained their vice-like grip on Raph's neck.

Staring directly up at his older sibling, Raph murmured, "Since when do you care about logic?" Leo's grip tightened and Raph flinched a little. Still, he pushed the slight pain to the side. Right now Leo was more important. "Stop." Raph ordered firmly.

Dark blue eyes narrowed dangerously. The younger turtle easily deflected the angry glare. His hand slowly came up to rest on Leo's shoulder. "I'm not the one you're mad at, Leo." The hand on his neck recoiled and Raph watched as Leo's mask shattered.

Pain, stress, and slowly dawning horror made Raph grab Leo's shoulder before he could run off. "Raph I—" His eyes fell to Raph's neck. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't know what came over me." At Raph's request, Leo sat beside his brother on the lab table. He couldn't look his brother in the eyes. He felt Raph's hand on his shoulder once more.

"Yes you do." Raph said softly. Leo stared at his younger brother. He was surprised, even though he knew he shouldn't be. Raphael always knew exactly how to reach him. "You need to let it out now, Leo. Keeping it in will only make things worse. Come on, big brother. Give me the lecture. I can take it."

Leo sobbed pitifully and took Raph into his arms, pressing the side of his head against his little brother's plastron, listening to the sound of Raph's heartbeat.

Raphael was shocked and utterly speechless. Leo hadn't clung to him like this since they were little. His shock faded and he tried to pull away, but Leo wouldn't have it. Raph smiled and looked down at Leo, curiously. He chuckled as Leo whined and childishly tried to pull him even closer. Suddenly worry began to dull the mood. If Leo, the fearless leader, was reacting this way, it must have been really bad. The sound of Leo's voice snapped Raph out of it.

"Don't you ever do anything that stupid again!" Leo said, trying to sound stern.

Raph grinned. Ah good, the lecture. "I was saving your life, Fearless." He belatedly realized that was the wrong thing to say.

Leo's eyes clouded over with tears and he pulled himself up to stare directly into Raph's eyes. "I had to live through one of my worst nightmares, Raphael. I lost you. You were gone. You were gone because I failed you."

Raph's growl made Leo jump a little. "You didn't fail me, Leo."

The older turtle didn't hear the warning edge in his younger brother's tone. He shook his head and disagreed. "Yes I did! I'm your older brother, I'm supposed to protect you!"

Neon green eyes flashed angrily. "Let's face it Leo, you can't protect all of us all the time! And you sure as hell can't shield us from the world or we'll never learn! You always stand there lecturing us about what we did wrong, about what we can and can't do, you hover over our shoulders every waking moment. Leo, ya gotta realize that there are things you can't control! And when those things happen, you can't blame yourself! Blaming yourself for other people's actions is just another form of selfishness, big brother." He tilted Leo's face up slightly. "And I know you're a far cry from selfish. So shape up and stop thinking like that."

Gaping in awe at how mature and how wise his younger brother sounded, Leo's entire body began to shake with the force of his emotions. His mind was racing around what Raphael had said. The words left him with a plethora of questions that he would need to sort out later, probably through meditation. Later. Right now, there was something Leo needed even more urgently. He wrapped his arms around Raphael yet again, only this time his eyes were dry. He smiled and whispered softly, "Raph." He said, his voice coming out airy, like a sigh of relief. Leo patted Raph's shell, endearingly. "Oh boy, we missed you."

Raphael rolled his eyes and swatted Leo's head affectionately. "Missed you too, ya nut."

* * *

Leo didn't emerge from the lab until half an hour later and when he did, he was surprised to find Donnie, Mikey and Master Splinter all gathered in the hall outside. Donnie and Mikey looked worried. Splinter just looked…calm. "Is everything alright, my son?" Splinter asked softly.

The blue-masked turtle blinked a couple of times and nodded. "Yes, Master Splinter. Everything's fine."

"Is Raph still awake?" Mikey asked, suddenly bouncing forward, making Leo jump and stammer.

"Uh-yeah." Leo answered, stunned by his little brother's restlessness.

Mikey turned and glanced uncertainly at Master Splinter. The old rat smiled. "Go ahead, my son. I shall speak with Raphael after you have finished."

The youngest smiled gratefully and bounded over to the lab doors. Donatello yelled after him, "Go easy on him! He's still recovering!"

Leo put a hand on Don's shoulder. "Don't worry Donnie, I'm sure Raph can handle Mikey just fine."

Donnie frowned. "He needs rest."

"And he'll get it. Right now, we all need a little bit of reassurance." Leo replied softly. He could understand Don's concern. He threw an arm over Donnie's shoulders and squeezed gently. Don smiled gratefully at him. "Come on, let's go see what kind of trouble Mona Lisa's managed to get herself into." He quipped playfully and the two of them waved to their father. Leo smirked. "Race you to the main room!" He yelled, taking off at tremendous speed.

Donnie's eyes narrowed with determination as he took off after Leo. "You think a head-start will help you? I thought you were smarter than that!"

Leonardo laughed.

* * *

Mikey rushed into the lab, slamming the door shut behind him. The resulting bang made Raph sit up straight and look around.

The next thing Raph knew, he had his arms full of Michelangelo. He rolled his eyes in fake annoyance, but a smile danced across his lips. Deep down on the inside, Raph was certain that Mikey's antics would never cease to amuse him. "Hey Mikey." He grunted.

"RAPHIE!" Mikey wailed, forlornly. Tears streamed down his freckled cheeks in a rushing torrent.

Guilt flooded Raph's heart. He couldn't stand it when Mikey cried. "Mikey." No response, just more sobs. Raph shifted and cradled his baby brother gently in his arms. "Mikey, it's okay. I'm here. It's okay, it's okay. I'm right here. Right here beside you. I'm going to be fine. Everything's going to be alright." There was no phrase Raph hated more than 'everything's going to be alright'. To him it always rang false. There was no way of knowing whether or not it would be the truth. But right now, he figured that was what Mikey needed to hear. Unfortunately, he figured wrong.

Mikey stiffed and pulled away a little. "Don't say that Raph. You don't know that! None of us know that! That woman, the woman who did this to you, is still out there!" Mikey said, suddenly very excited. His hands shook with an emotion that Raph had trouble identifying.

Raph's eyes widened as he realized just what emotion it was. He stiffened.

Sure, they all knew that given the circumstances Mikey could be just as protective as Leo. Sure, Mikey was protective of his older brothers. But the youngest usually left them to their own devices because he knew they could handle their own. That was why he only struck out when someone threatened or hurt them badly. And of course, being brothers, Raphael knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of Michelangelo's ire. But this…Raph had never seen his baby brother look like this.

Mikey was livid.

Not only that, but anger permeating those baby-blue eyes was a dark echo of Raphael's own inner fury and that was what spooked the hothead the most. He fearfully gripped one of Mikey's hands. "Mikey, let it go."

A dark look spread across Michelangelo's youthful features, making Raphael feel as though he were staring a younger, more confused version of himself. Mikey snarled. "I should have killed her when I had the chance, but I let her go! She didn't deserve that, I should have ended her! I let her go!"

"Then you did the right thing." Raph said quietly.

Mikey glared angrily at him. "She didn't deserve mercy. She wanted to kill you!" He argued.

Raphael sighed and shook his head. "You can't build up vendettas against everyone who wants to kill us, Mikey." He said softly, trying to get Mikey to see sense.

"The loss of an eye wasn't enough of a revenge for what she did, for the pain she caused us!" Mikey shouted.

Neon green eyes narrowed. The loss of an eye? He'd have to ask Leo about that later. Raph put both hands on his baby brother's shoulders. "Michelangelo, look at me." Mikey did.

"There's nothing you can say that will change my mind, Raph. I will take her down."

Raph shook his head. "No. Mikey please, I'm asking you to look into my eyes." Slowly, Mikey did as asked. Raph smiled and rubbed Mikey's head affectionately. His expression melted into one of pure seriousness. "Mikey, do you remember the time Spike was attacked by a baby alligator in the sewers?"

Mikey's eye-ridges furrowed. What did this have to do with-? "Yeah…well, I remember you saying something about it."

Raph smiled grimly as he told the story. "I was in the sewers skateboarding and I set Spike off to the side so he could watch me while he chewed on his leaf. I heard a weird noise and the next thing I knew, there was a little alligator snapping Spike up in its jaws. I was so angry. I hit it and hit it till it let Spike go. But that wasn't enough. It had hurt my best friend and I was so angry that I didn't stop to think about what I was doing. I took my sais and I stabbed it."

Mikey stared at his older sibling with wide, frightened eyes.

Raph looked away. "I stabbed it. Over and over and over. Until it wasn't moving any more. I killed it, Mikey. I killed it. It didn't know that Spike was my pet. It was just trying to survive. And I killed it. Because I thought it deserved it. I killed it and I mean to do it. I murdered it, Mikey. I took a life, little brother."

Mikey looked sympathetic for a few moments, but his face hardened and he glared at his older sibling. "Your point?"

Raph's hand tightened its grip on Mikey's shoulder. "The point is, little brother, killing it didn't make me feel any better. It only made it that much harder for me to live with myself." Raph fought in vain to blink away the tears in his eyes. They tumbled slowly down in his cheeks.

Baby-blue eyes were wide. He hadn't seen Raph cry in years. It had been so long that the sight seemed alien to him. Tears came to his own eyes as he slowly took his older brother's words to heart. He felt lost. He clung to Raph's shoulders. Right now Raphael was the only solid anchor he had.

Raph returned the hug, sniffling softly. "Mikey, I don't ever want you to go through that. Please, little brother, promise me you'll let go."

The youngest tucked his head under Raph's chin and whispered softly. "I promise, Raph. I promise."

Emerald green lips pulled up into an easy smile. "That's my little brother."

"I love you Raphie." Mikey whimpered.

Raph grinned and patted Mikey's shell. "If you tell anyone I said this, I'll beat the green off you, but…I love you too."

* * *

Splinter grinned as Michelangelo bounded out of the lab with a bright and cheery smile. The dark anger that had been constantly lurking over the youngest for the past few weeks was gone. Splinter was relieved. He patted Michelangelo's shoulder and the young turtle beamed at him, pulling him into a full hug. "You can go in now, Sensei." Mikey mumbled against Splinter's robes.

The rat patted his youngest son's head and stepped back with a smile. "Thank you Michelangelo. I believe your brothers went to seek out Mona Lisa. They were last headed to the main room."

Mikey nodded and scurried off with a belated, "Thanks Sensei!"

Splinter rolled his eyes and shook his head. Kids. He turned to the lab and slowly slid the door opened. He was surprised to see Raphael sitting up, facing him. "Raphael!" In seconds he had crossed the room and yanked his child into a fierce embrace.

"Father." Raphael, too, sounded relieved.

The old rat smiled. Knowing Raphael, he had spent a lot of his energy comforting Mona Lisa and his brothers. "You are tired, my child. You should rest." Splinter pulled away, but Raphael grabbed his wrist. He blinked. For someone who'd just awoken from a long period of unconsciousness, Raphael's reaction time was shockingly quick.

"No. Stay for a bit." Raphael said softly.

Splinter smiled and impulsively lifted a hand to stroke the side of Raph's face. He had a seat on the table's edge by his son's legs. "Is there something you wanted to discuss with me?"

Raph nodded, resolutely. "Yes. I know that my…injuries must have been just as hard on you as they were on my brothers. I'm sorry I worried you, Father."

Master Splinter smiled as he stared at Raphael's grave expression. He put a hand on Raph's shoulder and looked down into his son's eyes. "I will always worry about you my son. I will not lie you to you, Raphael. When I first saw how badly you were hurt…I was terrified." There were tears in the old rat's eyes.

"Father…" Raph said, sounding stricken.

Splinter pulled Raphael into another embrace, rubbing the young turtle's head the way he used to when they were just little tots. "I am here, my son."

He lay Raphael back on the table and rubbed his son's plastron soothingly until the turtle fell into a peaceful slumber. Splinter smiled and stood. He bent down and kissed his son's forehead. "Rest well, my child. I love you so very much."

The old rat beamed on his way out when he heard the barely-audible reply: "I love you too, Dad."

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Review Please!**


	31. Voices

**Yay! New Chapter!**

* * *

 **Ch. 31-Voices**

"Master Splinter."

The old rat looked up into the eyes of the large mutant who had been waiting just outside the door to the lab. He returned the greeting. "Slash." The dark, spikey-shelled turtle shifted nervously. Splinter knew what Slash wanted to ask. He also knew the answer. "I'm afraid Raphael is asleep." He said softly.

Slash nodded. Before Master Splinter could walk away he asked, meekly, "Can I sit with him?"

After a brief moment of careful consideration, the rat master nodded. Slash flashed a grateful smile and stealthily crept into the lab. He was pleased to find Raphael in a state of peaceful slumber. He couldn't help but smile at the light scowl that creased Raphael's brow. The bulky turtle pulled the reinforced metal frame chair, which Rockwell had constructed specifically for him and Leatherhead, out from the corner. Once he was settled, Slash leaned forward and put his arms on the table, being careful not to disturb Raphael. He stared at his oldest friend with a frown on his face.

Most of Raph's superficial injuries had healed. But Slash could still remember where each and every one of them had been. Of course he, like the others, had not been able to see Raphael until Donatello and Rockwell had given the all the clear. And he had waited most impatiently until all of Raph's family finished before he himself had gone in. When he finally had…

Tears came unbidden to his eyes and Slash dropped his head into his hands as he choked back a sob. He had never been so afraid in his entire life as he had when he saw Raph that day. You have to understand that he, Slash, had watched Raphael grow up. He had been there since the hothead was just a tiny little tot, when he, already a full-grown turtle, was too big to sit on Raph's shoulder as he had in more recent years. For eleven years he had been Raphael's closest confidant and best friend. And seeing Raphael in such a horrible condition left Slash feeling like a failure. He remembered all the times that Raphael risked his health and wellbeing to save him, both before and after his mutation.

Slash sat there, in that chair, staring at Raphael's sleeping form, with clouded eyes. Memories. So many memories.

 **At age six…**

"My name's Raphael. I promise I'll always look after ya!"

 **At age seven…**

"I'm sorry Mikey painted your shell, Spike. Don't worry, buddy, I made sure he'll never do it again. I told Master Splinter and he's gonna make Mikey clean the dojo."

 **At age eight…**

"Oh, sorry Spike! I didn't mean to wake you. What's that look for? I'm just going out to play with Leo! I know it's past our bedtime, but Leo doesn't have time to play with me during the day. And if we did play during the day we'd have to share with Donnie and Mikey. Trust me, Spike, it's better this way!"

 **At age nine…**

"Spike, is there something wrong with me? It seems like no matter what I do I'm just not good enough for anyone around here. Sensei's always yelling at me in training. I'm trying my best. But they don't get that." He paused and looked down at Spike. Spike looked up at him. "You're right Spike! I'll just have to show them! I'll be the strongest, toughest ninja there ever was!"

 **At age ten…**

"I know it sounds stupid, Spike, but I miss my brothers. I miss playing around the way we used to. I miss…well I miss…I miss Leo, he spends so much time training I don't think he even notices me anymore. I miss Donnie, he's always too busy doing sciencey stuff to talk about cars and super cool engines." Raph sighed. Spike looked blankly up at him. Their eyes met. "Mikey? Yeah, you're right Spike. Mikey's still the same. Let's go see what he's up to."

 **At age eleven…**

"Sorry I'm late, Spike. Leo and I spent the whole day skating in the tunnels. It was awesome! Don't tell Leo I said this, but he spends so much time training that I forget how much fun he can be."

 **At age twelve…**

"I made a mistake in training and they all laughed at me. I got so mad I hit them. I didn't mean to hurt them! I was just so mad and I couldn't stop and—Sensei yelled at me. Leo did too. They don't understand! I try to tell them, but they won't listen." Raphael hung his head and sat down on the bed, looking up at Spike who was standing on the bed by the pillow. A few tears rolled down his cheeks but he wiped them away with the back of his hand. "I wish they could listen like you, Spike. I wish they could understand." Raph lay down, resting his hand on Spike's shell gently, holding the normal turtle close as he silently cried himself to sleep.

 **At age thirteen…**

"Oh man, Mikey is so close to getting a beat-down! When is that little varmint gonna learn that stop means stop? I told him to back off and leave me alone, and what does he do? He doesn't leave me alone for a second! He keeps annoying me and getting in my face!" Raphael fumed for a little while, but he soon calmed down enough to notice that Spike had been watching him pace up and down the room. He smiled at his little friend. "Thanks Spike. I'll go back out and try talking to Mikey now."

They young turtle returned about ten minutes later, stiff-lipped and teary-eyed. He fell back onto the bed listlessly. Slowly, he looked over at Spike. "Mikey was mad. He doesn't wanna be my best friend anymore because I yell at him all the time. I know I yell a lot but he never took it personally before!" He shuddered and rung his hands nervously. "I'm not a bad brother…am I?" Spike just stared. Raph's eyes watered. "You'd tell me the truth, wouldn't you, Spike?" Spike hesitated, making eye contact with Raphael, then he chewed on his leaf. Raph let out a sigh of relief and smiled dimly. "I'm glad. You're a really good friend, Spike."

 **At age fourteen…**

Raphael set Spike down on the kitchen counter before he turned to glare at the back of his older brother's shell. "Leo."

"Yeah Raph?" Leo asked, a little bit worried. Why was Raph so mad?

"Mikey says that you fed Spike this morning."

Leo blinked. "Yeah." There was a short silence. He asked slowly, "Was that okay?"

Raph straightened, trying to look even more intimidating than he already was. "NO! IT WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT OKAY!" He yelled, making Leo wince.

"Jeez, Raph, I'm sorry, okay? I was just trying to do you a favor."

"Yeah? Well next time pick something else! I feed Spike! Got that? Me! Nobody else!" Raphael fumed.

Leo was now frustrated and confused. "Stop acting like a baby, Raph. It's not that big a deal!"

"Of course it isn't a big deal to you! You don't understand me! But Spike is my pet turtle, so he's my responsibility!"

"Oh, so Spike knows you better than us?! He's a turtle, Raphael!" Leo shouted, getting in Raph's face.

Raphael growled. "So are we!"

Leo sputtered for a few moments, his cheeks flushed as he struggled to come up with a retort. "Spike is just a dumb animal, Raphael! He doesn't understand a word you say and he doesn't understand you!"

Raph drew back and retrieved Spike, struggling to hold back the tears. "No! No! You're wrong Leo! And one day you'll be sorry!"

 **At age fifteen…**

"You know, Spike, if my brothers weren't always holding me back I bet I could be best ninja ever! But they're always making me angry and getting on my nerves. How am I supposed to do well when they're being such pains?"

 **At age sixteen…**

"I know you're a little worried about me. Look, I'm not gonna lie to ya. We've never gone into a fight like this and I don't know what's gonna happen. But ya don't have to worry. I will make it back. I love you, man."

Slash's eyes brightened as he returned to the present and stared down at Raphael. He smiled affectionately at his old friend. "I love you too, Raph, Brother…Rest well." The big turtle whispered. He stood and made his way over to the door, turning back one last time to reassure himself that Raphael was out of danger, before slowly leaving the room and closing the door softly behind him.

Once outside, he took a deep breath and murmured. "I'll always be there for you Raph. After all, I made a promise."

 **At age six…**

"You're always there for me, aren't you, buddy?" Spike chewed on his leaf and Raph smiled.

It was late, and the young turtle was tired. With a big yawn Raph mumbled sleepily, "Ya promise?" Raphael's eyes closed and he was out like a light. He didn't see Spike as the normal turtle chomped down on the lettuce leaf without the slightest hesitation.

* * *

"Sensei, is Raph asleep?" Leo asked as his father joined them in the main room.

The old rat nodded. "Yes. Slash is keeping a silent vigil."

Leo's eyes clouded over a little as he nodded. Whatever his thoughts were, they were rudely interrupted by Donnie and Mikey talking loudly.

"You said you'd never mention it to anyone!" Mikey whined.

Don's smirk was disturbing, to say the least. "Oh, like you said you wouldn't tell April about my flow chart?"

Mikey had 'accidentally' blurted to April that Donnie had constructed a 'How to Spend More Time with April' flowchart a few days ago. Fortunately for him, Don had been too worried about Raph to care. But now…the brainiac was more than ready for a little bit of payback.

The purple-masked turtle turned to Mona Lisa, who was gnawing distractedly on a carrot as she wondered what to do with the rest of her day. Leo had called Casey and April and the two humans were going to come by later, after school, to see Raph. But that still left roughly three hours of free time for her. What to do, what to do? She slowly looked up and realized that Donnie was staring at her. Something was off. The brainiac looked as though he was about to do something devious. And Mona wasn't sure she wanted to be an accomplice in any more turtle pranks. "Donnie?" She asked, hoping that the turtle would explain himself.

Donatello blinked a few times after she said his name. She'd been speaking a little bit here and there over the past two weeks, but he still wasn't quite used to it yet. Mona's vocabulary was very limited. Every once in a while she would repeat words that they used, but he didn't really know how many of them Mona Lisa was actually able to retain. All he knew for certain was that she knew all their names. She still had a little bit of trouble saying 'Sensei', but she could say Splinter pretty well. Oddly enough, Mikey was the name she pronounced best. Don suspected it was probably because the youngest was the most annoying and kept pestering her about getting it perfect. Mikey seemed to have an overwhelming desire to teach her how to say booyakasha, but Don had tried to tell the youngest several times that Mona just wasn't ready for that yet.

Speaking of Mikey…oh yes, he was in the middle of getting his baby brother back for telling April about his flowchart. Preferably by telling everyone about Mikey's incident with the—ah yes, Don chuckled to himself. _Mikey will never blurt out one of my secrets ever again!_

"Mona, would you like to hear about the time Mikey—"

The lizard mutant shook her head. "Not now, Donnie."

Everything froze. Donnie stared. "Mona…" His shock shifted into a brilliant smile. He grabbed her hands and squeezed them tightly. "Your first sentence!" They both turned to the others who were still in shock. Donnie was flooded with excitement. "Guys! Guys! Mona said her first sentence!"

Splinter was the first one to respond. "Congratulations, my child, I am very proud of you."

Mona pulled her hands away from Donnie and hugged Master Splinter. She looked him in the eyes and it was obvious that she had to use all her concentration to say, "Thanks Splinter."

Mikey and Leo slowly came to their senses and went to congratulate her. Leo beamed proudly. "Just wait till Raph hears about this. Wait…did any of you guys tell him she could talk?"

They all looked at each other and turned back to the oldest turtle with blank expressions. Leo grinned and shook his head. "Well, I guess Raph is gonna have a lot of surprises in store for him when he wakes up."

They smiled back. Mona nodded. Slowly, she extended her arm so that her hand was high above her head. She glanced over each of their faces nervously. Leo, Donnie, Mikey and Master Splinter were all staring rather indulgingly at her. She cleared her throat and did the best she could: "Boo-ya-ka-sha?"

Mikey had tears of joy in his baby-blue eyes. He almost knocked her over with his zealous hug. "Yeah boy! You are the best sister ever! Come on, everybody! High-three, or four, or however many you got!" He ordered, adding his hand in beside Mona Lisa's. Leo and Donnie smiled and did as their little brother commanded.

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Review Please!**


	32. Reaching Out

**New Chapter! Yay!**

* * *

 **Ch. 32-Reaching Out**

Casey and April sprinted down the halls and out the school doors as soon as the bell rang. Once they were in the sewers, the two of them scurried to the turtle's lair, where Donnie was waiting to escort them to the Mighty Mutanimals' lair.

"How is he?"

"He's doing fine." Don answered, curtly, as they made their way through the twisted tunnels.

"Will he be okay?" April asked, concerned.

Don paused and turned back to her with a gentle smile. "He'll be fine. He's already disobeying my strict medical orders."

Casey Jones smiled and shook his head. "That's Raph for you."

"Hmm, yes." The turtle hummed worriedly. "I just wish he'd be more cautious. Unfortunately I don't think the word caution is in Raph's vocabulary."

Case patted the brainiac's shoulder. "Don't worry. Raph may be a hothead, but he knows his limits."

With a sigh, Donatello continued walking. "I wanna believe you Casey, but I know Raph just a little too well."

"So do I, man, and believe me, I'm not just spewing out empty words. Raph is a lot more careful about these things than you seem to think he is." The human said.

Don raised an eye-ridge. Casey was telling the truth, he could see that. He grinned and shook his head. _Oh, Raph…What am I going to do with you?_ Don grumbled under his breath, more to himself than anyone else, "If I find out that lunatic tried to get out of bed while I was gone, I'll sedate him for a week."

April's response made Donnie smile, "I don't think Mona Lisa would be too happy about that."

The turtle thought about it for a moment and nodded. "Yeah. She wouldn't talk to me for a month." He said with a chuckle.

Casey raised an eyebrow, inquiringly. "Umm…Don, you mean like with sign, right?"

Don was more focused on making the correct turns and carefully leading the way than he was on the current line of conversation. He answered distractedly, "Yeah. I meant both, you know, speaking and sign."

A sharp tug on his arm stopped him. Donnie took one look at Casey's face and belatedly realized that their human friends hadn't been told. "Oh. I guess in all the commotion about Raph we forgot to tell you. Mona's slowly learning how to speak. I'm going to start her on daily lessons as soon as we return to the lair. Knowing Raph and his insanely rapid recovery rates, I'd say that'll probably be within the next week or so." He beamed proudly as he informed them, "She actually said her first sentence today!"

April smiled. "That's great. I'll bet Raph is ecstatic!"

Don chuckled nervously and turned away. "Actually, since he just woke up we kinda haven't told him yet."

Casey laughed and shook his head. "Oh man. He is gonna be so pissed that he missed it. And he's gonna be even more pissed that you didn't tell him."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

When they got to the Mighty Mutanimals' lair, all three of them stopped at the door, shocked. "Raph?" Casey asked, happy to see his best friend conscious and contented. He rushed over and punched his buddy fondly in the shoulder, being a lot softer than he usually was.

Donatello's face was quickly turning red.

Raph looked up and smiled at Casey, but his smile vanished as he saw Donatello fuming in the doorway. He held up his hands. "Before you go all code brown, listen to what I have to say!"

Steam was coming out of Donnie's nose and ears. He crossed his arms over his plastron and growled. "I'm listening."

"I didn't disobey your orders."

Donnie scoffed. "Clearly you did, Raphael. You moved."

Raph shook his head. "No more than necessary."

"Then please explain to me how you got from the lab to the main room?"

"Slash." He said, with no further explanation than that.

Brown eyes narrowed at Raphael as Donnie glared. "Don't overdo it." He said softly.

"I won't." Raph replied solemnly. He was sitting up, leaning his carapace against the wall for support.

They all turned as Mona Lisa stepped into the room. She greeted the two humans with a nod. Casey smiled and patted her shoulder, making certain to go slow so that she could see the action coming. "Donnie told us you can talk."

Mona blushed a little and sidled over to stand closer to Raph. The red-masked turtle smiled at her. "So Mikey and Leo have been telling me."

Don frowned. "She hasn't said anything to you yet?"

Raph shook his head and shrugged apathetically. "Nah."

Mona, who was starting to feel a little awkward at being the subject of their conversation, tapped Raph's shoulder. 'I'll go get Leo and Mikey.' Raph nodded and Mona left, headed towards the kitchen.

The brainy turtle frowned lightly as he watched her go. "I wonder why she hasn't spoken to you yet." He mused. He shared his thoughts aloud, "It could be shyness, I suppose."

Mikey, Leo and Mona returned, but they were standing at the mouth of the hall that led to the kitchen, on the opposite side of Raph from where Donnie, Casey, and April were standing. As such, the hothead didn't notice their arrival.

"I told her a long time ago, whether she can speak or not, I'll always love her just the same. Mona knows that."

Everyone stared at Raph in silent wonder and astonishment. Not only was Raph's soft, caring admission very un-Raph-like, but the tough turtle didn't seem bothered at all by the fact that he had just made such a statement in front of his entire family.

April's eyes shifted to Mona Lisa. The smile on the lizard mutant's face was positively radiant. Slowly, April O'Neil's mind caught on to something else. Raphael had said he loved Mona Lisa. How sweet. She briefly wondered whether the others realized that. She grinned as Mona silently crossed the room to stand by Raph's side.

He looked up and his cheeks went a little red as he realized she'd heard what he said. Mona dropped down to her knees. Casey Jones grinned lecherously at the very blank stare on his turtle friend's face. Man, Raph had it bad. Mona Lisa had him wrapped around her little finger.

In the background, Mikey put a hand over his heart and leaned heavily against Leo's plastron, making lovey-dovey faces at his older brother. Leonardo rolled his eyes and shook his head, smirking as Mona kissed Raphael sweetly. Don smiled, but looked away to give the lovebirds a little privacy. April watched, thoughtfully. She'd never seen the temperamental turtle so happy. It warmed her heart.

Mona Lisa, too, seemed happier than April had ever seen her. But of course, April didn't know the lizard very well. As far as April was concerned, if Mona Lisa had the ability to make her friend so happy, that was all that mattered.

* * *

Dinner was very straightforward. They bought a ton of pizzas and had a feast, sharing many laughs and companionable conversations. April noticed that Mona Lisa was still wary of her. The most telling factor was the way that the lizard mutant moved. Whenever Mona Lisa had to cross the room, she would carefully give April a wide berth.

But amazingly, after an hour of eating and talking, the lizard mutant's tension lessened a little. They played games for almost two hours after that, and when Raph declared it necessary that they play a few rounds of crazy eights, Mona Lisa and April were left to their own devices. Mona didn't know how to play and wasn't particularly interested. April just wasn't interested.

They both removed themselves from the circle that the others were seated in. As they moved off to the side, they accidentally bumped into each other. The others were already too occupied by the game to notice the two of them. April immediately drew back. Mona Lisa remained frozen, staring blankly at April with wide eyes. Slowly the lizard mutant shifted, her eyes never leaving April's face. "I—"

April stared in awe. She realized that the lizard mutant was nervous, so she waited patiently.

"—like your hair."

April O'Neil smiled sweetly and slowly put her hand on Mona Lisa's shoulder. Surprisingly, the lizard mutant allowed her to. "I like your hair, too."

* * *

After April and Casey had gone, Donatello pulled Dr. Rockwell aside. They stood in the door to the main room, just far enough in the hall to be partially concealed by the shadows. The others were preoccupied with whatever game they were playing to notice. "Rockwell, I need some help."

"With what?" The monkey mutant asked, incredulously. The tone was grave, indicating to Rockwell that the request most likely had something to do with the files Donatello had retrieved from the research facility.

Donnie took Rockwell's arm and tugged the monkey mutant a little closer. Carefully eyeing Mona and his brothers who were just down the hall in the main room. Warily, he whispered, "Some sections of the files I retrieved are encrypted."

"And you want me to take a look at them." Rockwell deduced.

The turtle nodded. "Yeah. I remembered that you once said you worked at a research facility in the past."

"That doesn't mean that I'll be able to decode the encryption."

"No, but you'll probably have more luck than I will."

Rockwell smirked and raised an eyebrow. "So you admit that I'm more intelligent than you?"

Donnie mirrored the monkey's expression. "Not a chance. I was just thought you might be interested. Of course, if you don't think you can handle it…"

Shaking his head, Rockwell scoffed. "I'll take care of it tonight."

"While I would appreciate getting it as soon as possible, there's no need for you to out of the way."

"It's fine, Donatello. Believe it or not, I'm as interested in those research files as you are. As a former research scientist I see it as my duty to see that justice is done."

Both of them turned and smiled as Mona Lisa's ringing laugh filled the air. It looked like Mikey was showing her some of his cheap magic tricks. Donatello took in the soft, fond smile on the monkey mutant's face. "Are you sure your motivation isn't a little more personal?"

The former scientist averted his eyes. "She reminds me of my daughter."

"I didn't realize you had a daughter." Donatello said, apologetically, but Rockwell cut him off.

"Yes, well, she's quite grown now. She lives in Detroit. It's been years since I've seen her. And now…" Rockwell looked down at his mutated hands. "I probably won't see her again." He was flinched as a hand landed unexpectedly down on his shoulder. His eyes slowly met Donatello's.

"Yes you will. We're geniuses. We'll find a solution." He reassured.

Rockwell smiled and nodded. "Perhaps. But first things first," he glanced back over at Mona Lisa with a very serious glint in his eyes, "the information in those files could be vital. Just out of curiosity, what are your intentions once you have the information?"

"All we really wanted was to find out more about Mona's past. We weren't expecting the rogue scientist to come into the picture, but now that she has, we have to find out who she is and stop her. If we don't, Mona Lisa will never be safe. After everything she's gone through, she shouldn't have to live in fear."

Rockwell curiously studied his friend's face. The young turtle looked very mature. He had to admit, though Donatello was not quite the genius he was, the purple-masked turtle had wisdom beyond his years. And right now, it showed.

Donatello was lost in thought. He loved his brother Raphael. And Mona Lisa was like a sister to him. The lizard mutant didn't realize it, but somehow her presence had brought them closer as a family. At first, he hadn't really understood, but now he was finally beginning to comprehend. For someone of his mental caliber, Donnie knew that he was surprisingly slow when it came to certain things. Things like his brothers, for instance. For some reason, he never seemed to notice how much they changed over the years until well after the fact. In this case, he was only now beginning to realize that Mona Lisa completed Raphael. She balanced him. And now, his immediate older brother was calmer, more mature, and happy. The change the lizard mutant had brought out in his brother had, in turn, pulled the five of them closer together.

He was determined to do whatever it would take to keep that masked female scientist away from his family. If she wanted Mona Lisa then she'd have to go through him first, and all of his brothers, too. Donatello's brothers and father were a part of him. And now, so was Mona Lisa. He would protect her with his life, if need be. Slowly, he turned back to Rockwell, who seemed to be sizing him up, thoughtfully. "Get me the results as soon as possible."

Rockwell nodded. "Of course."

* * *

 **Well, how was it?**


	33. Always Enough

**Ch. 33-Always Enough**

It was late. Past time anyone should be up. But the light shining out from the crack at the bottom of the lab door into the hall said otherwise. Inside, Rockwell sat in front of his computer with dark rings of exhaustion under his eyes. A severe frown accentuated the numerous wrinkles in his face. He could feel his palms sweating. Slowly but surely, the monkey mutant was making his way through the encrypted files. He had started with the one labeled: SX71364, which he soon learned was the researcher's project file. The deeper he read, the more his stomach rebelled. Rockwell himself had never approved of experimentation on animals that was why he preferred using DNA samples for his projects.

Not only did this file contain the project head's official reports, it also provided him with her notes and the notes of some of the other scientists who worked under her. He didn't like her handwriting. It was showed she was a woman of a very cold, stoic disposition. At times, the dark, heavy scrawl slanted extremely to the right, which suggested the scientist was being carried away by her emotions, yet there were also moments where the text leaned to the left, suggesting that she was holding something back. The varied presence of both suggested that the writer was unstable. Of course he was no graphologist, but he knew enough to tell that besides the features he'd just noted, she was very intelligent. The way that the words grew smaller suggested considerable focus.

Rockwell decided to return to the notes later and turn his attention to the official reports. He blinked at all the confidentiality warnings attached to the cover page. The monkey mutant's finger hesitated before scrolling down. The first section was dated the twenty-third of October, ten years ago.

Subject SX71364 has been placed in confinement. DNA evidence shows Homo sapiens and Lacertilia characteristics. Subject is approximately one meter in height, weighing 20.4 kilograms. Hair color: brown. Eye color: brown. Gender: Female. Ethnic Background: Unkown. Subject's skin consists of very small scales, yet displays almost human-like consistency and texture. With the exception of tail, subject's anatomy is more human than lizard. DNA also shows signs of rapid mutation, though the cause is unknown, as such it is predicted that subject is a humanoid mutant.

Rockwell paused. One meter weighing twenty kilograms? But that would mean…He skimmed the rest of the paragraph until his eyes landed on the information he sought. His breath hitched.

Subject's predicted age: Six years.

Six years old. Mona Lisa was only six years old. Rockwell's head spun. He felt sick. He fell back into his chair, letting his arms fall limply to the sides. Another thought sobered him: If Mona Lisa hadn't been as young as she was, they probably wouldn't have kept her alive as long as they did. The sound of the door creaking on its hinges made him swivel around. His visitor froze. Rockwell stiffened and his eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't be here."

The figure in the doorway took a couple tentative steps inside, warily staying close to the wall.

Rockwell frowned and his paternal instincts flared as he stood to reprimand the turtle sternly. "Donatello is going to have a fit. You aren't supposed to out of bed yet."

Raphael yawned and shrugged indifferently. "It's his fault for being a nerd. Just assumed he was pulling another all-nighter. I came to kick his shell back to bed."

The monkey mutant answered remotely, "It is my lab."

With yet another yawn, the obviously sleepy turtle replied, "Bet it hasn't been yours much since my family invaded."

Rockwell shrugged his shoulders. "I can't blame them. You were in a bad way."

"Still, it was nice of you." Raph observed.

Rockwell was no fool. He could tell when someone was trying to distract him. And he had thought Raphael would have been intelligent enough to realize that he wouldn't allow himself to be distracted. The rather bland attempt at a compliment was clearly a diversion tactic. A tactic that he could easily recognize since it was one, his daughter had often tried on him back in her teenage years. His eyes narrowed. He was not about to allow Raphael to avoid the issue at hand. "I better not see you doing this again." He reprimanded sternly, snapping remotely back into parent mode.

As the turtle smirked, Rockwell could see the sparkle of impish youth in his eyes. "Okay. You can close your eyes next time."

Bringing two fingers up to rub at his temples, Rockwell hung his head and let out an exasperated sigh. "I cannot begin to imagine how your father managed it."

Raph smiled wanly and replied, "With a lot of patience."

Eager to wrap this conversation up as soon as possible and get back to work, the monkey mutant said gravely, "Overtaxing your body in its already weakened state could lead to further injuries."

One of Raph's eye-ridges shot up and his loose grin turned into a frown. There was still a small hint of sleepiness on his facial features, but he was obviously pushing them aside. "Why do I get the feeling that you're anxious to get rid of me?"

"I do still have work to do, so if you don't mind—"

"What kind of work?" He asked as he took a few steps forward, tilting a little in an attempt to see the screen better. Rockwell shifted to block his gaze. Raph's neon-green eyes brightened and then narrowed. His drowsiness was gone and he was suddenly wide awake. Dr. Rockwell's lips were pressed into a tight, thin line. Raphael attempted to straighten his posture, but instead he lost his balance and swayed a little. The monkey genius pitched forward and caught the turtle by the elbows, steadying him.

By the time Rockwell realized it was ploy, it was too late.

Raph's eyes stared straight over Rockwell's shoulder at the text on the screen. He froze, suddenly riddled with tension. One word leapt off the screen and flashed repeatedly in front of his eyes: SX71364. Mona Lisa.

The hothead tore himself away from the former scientist's grip. He clenched his hands into fists using so much force that they shook. Even in his weakened state, he easily shoved Rockwell to the side and leaned forward to rest his hands on the desk. After finally getting past the initial shock, Raph's eyes flew rapidly across the page, absorbing as much of the information as he could. His emerald-green hand reached for the mouse. He growled dangerously as a hairy brown hand snatched it out from under him.

"You shouldn't be here." Rockwell said sternly. The turtle didn't budge. "If you do not return to bed I shall call Donatello to come fetch you." Raphael remained steadfast. The monkey sighed. "This is my lab, Raphael. Don't make me throw you out."

There was dark determination in Raphael's eyes. "You so much as try and I'll raise enough shell to wake everyone in this lair."

A chill ran down Rockwell's spine. The turtle was being as serious as he was. Damn. If there was no foreseeable way to get Raphael out of his lab without a fuss, then he'd have to let the red-masked turtle stay. Donatello was not going to be pleased with him.

Dr. Rockwell slowly put the mouse down and Raphael snapped it up without so much as a thank you. But given what he knew of the hotheaded turtle's personality, he hadn't really expected one. Raph plopped down into his chair and began reading, or perhaps more accurately given the turtle's current rate, skimming through the file. He took a few moments to analyze Raph's expression. At present, the youthful, impertinent charm was absent. Which left behind an image that Rockwell had never before seen any of the turtles display. Now, he could see Raphael for what the turtle really was: an adolescent shocked into an early adulthood by the harsh reality of the outside world.

There was something else bothering the monkey mutant, though. It took him a couple brief seconds to pinpoint what it really was. In fact, it wasn't what was there but rather, what _wasn't_ there, Rockwell realized. Raph's face didn't show even a hint of curiousness or suspicion as to where the information he was reading had come from.

As though he were reading the monkey scientist's mind, Raphael asked, "These are the files Donnie got from the research facility?" The turtle actually pulled his attention away from the file to look up at Dr. Rockwell.

Rockwell nodded slightly stunned. "Donatello told you?"

Raph crossed his arms over his plastron and leaned back in the chair, swiveling to face the monkey mutant. "Yeah. I forced it out of him. If he'd kept it a secret from me any longer he probably would have exploded."

"How much did he tell you?" He asked curiously. Somehow, he doubted that Donatello would have told Raphael _everything_.

The question made Raph raise an eye-ridge. Apprehension began to claw at his gut as he perceived a hint doubt in the genius's voice. "What do you mean?"

Rockwell shifted from one foot to the other, averting his eyes. "We almost didn't make it back."

"You were with him?" Raph asked, surprised.

 _So, Donatello did not tell him everything._ Rockwell thought fleetingly. He sat on the edge of the desk and placed his hands in his lap. When he turned back to Raphael, he saw that the turtle was now leaning forward anxiously. He frowned and his eyes dulled as he remembered the night in question. He spoke lowly. "I managed to get there before he lost his head."

"You saved his life?"

Soft, brown eyes looked curiously up at the turtle. There had been an odd flatness in Raph's tone that he didn't really know how to interpret. He shrugged, trying to skirt away from a direct answer. "I followed him. I didn't step in until I had to."

"But you did save him?" The hothead repeated, more urgently this time.

The monkey suddenly found the wall to be a very interesting place and ignored the turtle's question, answering only with silence.

"Thank you." A very small, quiet voice murmured.

Rockwell's attention snapped back over to Raphael. He was shocked by the genuine sincerity and depth of emotion that Raph was able to convey through those two simple words. Suddenly, he felt humbled and undeserving of such profound gratitude. "I did your brother little good. The guards pursued us as we ran for the wall. Donatello fell and the guards were coming up fast." The scientist carefully observed the way Raph's muscles tensed. "We never would have made it out if it weren't for Slash."

"Slash…?" Raphael asked, a hint of wonder in his voice. Rockwell nodded. Raph's eye-ridges furrowed. "But how did he…?"

"I think he, like me, noticed the look on Donatello's face after your father told the three of them to wait until you were fully recovered to take action."

Raph's face went blank. Slowly, he stood and headed for the door. Halfway across the room, he paused. "You and Donnie will fill me in on the details of those files, right?"

"Yes." Rockwell affirmed with a nod. "As Mona Lisa's guardian, it is your right to know." Raph could hear the unsaid 'and lover' in Rockwell's justification, but he ignored it. All that mattered was that they kept him in the loop.

"Good." He replied automatically, turning back towards the door and shakily making his way out the door, closing it softly behind him.

* * *

In the hall, the turtle paused and eyed the door to his room, which he was sharing with Mikey. Thankfully, Mikey was a heavy sleeper and probably hadn't even noticed his absence. He took a few steps towards the door, but stopped short. His eyes strayed to another door further down the hall. Padding noiselessly past the door to the room Leo and Donnie shared, he crept all the way down to the end of the corridor.

Mutagen colored eyes snapped open as he heard the door of his room close with a click. He could hear the sound of gentle breathing and soft footfalls as whoever had just entered his room drew closer. The smell and the aura that swept over him was one that was very familiar. Slash raised his head, looking up at the figure now standing in front of him from where he lay on the floor. He watched as Raphael dropped to his knees, smiling softly at him.

"Did I wake you?"

"I sleep lightly." Slash answered automatically.

Raph smiled again. "You always did."

Slash slowly sat up, realizing that this was the closest he had been to Raphael in a long time. At least, while the turtle was conscious, that is. "How are you?"

Raphael scoffed, making Slash grin. "Donnie said I wouldn't be able to walk until day after tomorrow. Ha! Shows what he knows!"

While Slash reveled in Raph's pleasure, he wasn't afraid to voice his concern. "You shouldn't rush things any more than you have to or you'll get hurt."

Raph sighed. He was really, really tired of people telling him the same things over and over again. Slash could see that, so the larger turtle quickly changed the subject. "So why did you come here?" He raised an eye-ridge, slightly surprised, as Raphael scooted closer to him.

The red-masked turtle stared up into the eyes of his friend, his gaze filled with intense emotion. He put a hand on Slash's plastron. "Thank you for saving Donnie."

Slash's eye-ridges furrowed. "How did you—"

"Rockwell told me. Donnie had confessed to me earlier, but he hadn't told me…"

"I see." Slash said gravely.

Shaking his head, Raph glued his gaze to the floor and said, "No, I don't think you do."

The dark, spiky-shelled turtle looked down at Raph's face, confused.

Raphael stared up, deep into the eyes of his former pet. "You stepped in and looked after my brothers when I couldn't. You welcomed my family into your home. That's something I'll never be able to repay you for."

Acting completely on impulse, Slash easily and abruptly yanked the red-masked turtle into hug. "For eleven years of my life you cared for and protected me, Raphael. You still do. I am the one who will never be able to repay you."

Raphael returned the hug and smiled. "You don't have to. Your friendship has always been enough."

* * *

 **How was it? Review Please!**


	34. The Trouble with Secrets

**Wow. I actually managed to cram in everything I wanted in this chapter. Yay! (This is my last weekend before school starts! So hopefully I'll be able to get at least one more chapter before then!)**

 **P.S. This is is the day after the events of last chapter. (I probably didn't need to tell you that, but I thought I just would.)**

* * *

 **Ch. 34-The Problem with Secrets**

"Donatello!" Rockwell called noisily, drawing the attention of everyone in the main room, including Raphael. With a furtive look in his eyes he glanced first at Raphael, then back to Donatello as he spoke. "I have finished readying the-um-tests you wanted to perform on Raphael."

Donnie raised an eye-ridge. Was Rockwell hinting at what he thought the monkey genius was hinting at?

Slightly frustrated, Rockwell sighed. Donatello really was rather slow sometimes. So he did his best to elaborate without giving too much away. "You remember don't you? The tests you asked me to prepare last night? To make certain that his heart is still in good shape? I figured you'd want to get them over with as soon as possible."

The purple-masked turtle stiffened a little and sent a reluctant look at Raphael. Raph, in turn, sent him a stern, knowing stare. He was trying to tell the brainiac that he had already seen part of the files, but telepathy wasn't part of the ninja curriculum, and Don didn't seem to be getting the message.

Finally, Donnie just sighed and nodded his head, deciding to get it over with. After all, Raphael already knew that he had the files, and as Mona's guardian he would have to know what was in them sooner or later. "Alright. Let's get Raph into the lab."

"I'll help." Leo offered, about to lift Raph up, but the hothead shoved him away.

"I don't need your help, Fearless. Donnie will give me a shoulder to lean on."

"Nonsense. One of us can carry you." Don argued. He really wanted to face-palm. Why oh why was Raphael always so difficult? He was stressed enough as it is, he didn't need the added pressure of a ridiculously stubborn brother on his conscience. The next thing he knew he was in the midst of a glaring competition that he knew he wouldn't win. As soon as he lost, he sighed. "Fine."

Leonardo, meanwhile, was not very happy about what had just happened, or what was going to happen, for that matter. "Why does he need more tests in the first place? I thought you said he was going to be fine."

Dr. Rockwell was the one who answered. "He should be. But a high-voltage shock like that is very dangerous, especially to the heart. We need to do a couple of follow-up examinations just to be sure."

The eldest nodded. "I see." There was a short pause. Then Leo asked, "Do you mind if I just tag along?"

Both Donnie and Rockwell unintentionally bristled. "Yes, actually we do mind." The monkey mutant said quickly, a little bit _too_ quickly for Leo's taste. "Donatello and I will work better without any outside distractions." He turned to Donnie and Raph. "If you two will come as quickly as possible, I think we can be done by noon."

Leo glanced at the clock. It was a quarter-past eleven. That seemed like an awful long time for a 'simple' series of tests. He didn't know about Rockwell, the monkey was acting a little suspicious, but that could just be his imagination. What he did know was that Donnie and Raph were hiding something. And he was going to call their bluff. "Why would simple tests take that long?"

Don immediately sensed the change in his older sibling's voice. Leo had just gone from gentle curiousness to Spanish Inquisition mode. Judging by the way Raph straightened the hothead had noticed it too. "They wouldn't." Donnie admitted, forthrightly, hoping that the honesty of the statement would quiet Leo's suspicions. "There are some other things the three of us need to discuss." Again, Don tried to use the truth to dissuade his sibling from asking any more questions. Unfortunately, it wasn't working.

"What kinds of things?" Leo asked. He was now even more suspicious than before. He could see that his brothers were hiding something from him and he didn't like it. Hands on his hips, he fixed a stern glare at his younger siblings.

Donatello had always believed that when it came to telling lies, Raphael had a special knack. As the type of person who constantly got himself into trouble, Raph knew how to manipulate people and, horrible as it may sound, he was especially good at manipulating Sensei and Leo. Once again, Donatello was reminded of Raph's incredible understanding of their oldest sibling. Raph said nothing, but his eyes strayed to Mona Lisa.

That one little action was all the answer Leonardo needed. He immediately deflated and backed down. Don didn't even wait for the eldest turtle's apology. He lifted Raph's arm over his shoulder and helped his brother down the hall towards the lab. Once they were out of hearing range, he whispered, mainly to himself, "How do you do that?" He wasn't expecting an answer, but he got one anyway.

"I know my brothers." Raph answered softly.

Rockwell led the way into the lab. Once the door was shut, and locked, they got down to business. Much to Raph's surprise, Donnie said, "Get on the table, Raph."

"Huh? I thought we were hear to talk about Mona and," he lowered his voice a little, "the files."

Donnie nodded. "We are, but I really do want to monitor your heart for a few minutes, just to be certain."

The other genius nodded his agreement. "Indeed. As the saying goes: one can never be too careful. And why waste a perfect opportunity?"

"Aren't those two different sayings?" Raph asked, trying to delay the inevitable.

"Raph." Don chided, pushing him gently towards the lab table. "Please. For my peace of mind?"

Raph sighed. "I tell ya Don, one of these days you really are going to jinx it."

"I don't believe in jinxes, Raphael." The brainiac replied evenly as he stuck the little electrodes to Raph's plastron.

"But I do. That's what really matters." Raph grumbled.

Don rolled his eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that you're impossible?"

The smirk on Raph's face was very childlike and mischievous. "In my life? Or in the past month?"

The purple-masked sibling sighed. Raph looked down at the wires now attached to him. "How long do I have to wear these?"

"Half an hour, ideally." Rockwell grinned at the chagrined look on the turtle's face and quickly reassured the adolescent, "But do not worry. You will not even realize that that much time as passed. We'll review the aspects of the files on Mona Lisa as you are being monitored."

Even though the hothead huffed, Donnie could tell that Raph was pleased by Rockwell's plan. Knowing that his brother would be fine, Don turned to the monkey mutant, about to ask what he had found out, but then he realized. "You don't seem anxious or surprised." He said, crossing his arms over his plastron as he glared daggers at his brother. The only way that Raphael would have known anything about Rockwell working on the files is if he had somehow managed to get the monkey scientist alone. And the only way Raph could have done that when he wasn't around and without him finding out about it, was if Raph had disobeyed his direct orders.

Raphael held up his hands. Donatello's eyes narrowed to slits. For once Donnie wished that Raph would at least show a little bit of anger, a little bit of concern for his own health! This selfish do-it-by-myself attitude wasn't helping anyone! "I'm fine, Donnie. You don't have to get so worked up! I got up late, saw the light on in here and thought you were in here working late! Go on, Don, yell all you want. Yell at me for caring!"

A soft hand landed on Raph's shoulder and squeezed tightly. Don's face and voice were soft as silk, even as he sighed. Raph hated seeing the sadness in Donnie's big brown eyes. Slowly, Don admitted, "I don't blame you. And I'm not," he took a deep breath, "going to yell at you." His hand gripped Raph's shoulder even tighter. "It's just—I worry too."

Raph grinned and nodded. "I know."

The two brothers shared a brief moment of companionable silence before Donatello finally turned back to Rockwell. "What did you find out?"

Rockwell stood tall and proud, after all, he had just completed a very hard task and was eager to share his findings. "A lot. Mona Lisa was apparently brought to that facility about ten years ago. The scientists estimated that she was approximately six years old at the time." The monkey mutant's eyes strayed to the heart monitor, noting the way that Raphael's heart rate had suddenly spiked. He muttered, "On second thought, we should probably monitor Raphael's heart when he isn't under quite so much stress."

Drawn by Rockwell's quiet words, Donatello's attention also came to rest on the heart monitor. "Agreed. The findings will hardly be accurate." A deep, concerned frown tugged at Donnie's lips as he saw that Raphael was very still. He was about to reach out, but Rockwell caught his hand. He turned to his fellow scientist with a questioning glare.

"Have you ever tried monitoring his blood pressure? Given his temperament, I wouldn't be surprised if he is at a higher risk for heart attacks." The monkey mutant said slowly.

Though he wanted to snap at Rockwell that he wasn't an idiot, Donnie realized that the scientist had a valid point. He shook his head. "No. I could never get him to let me. I tried to make him understand, but you'll find my brother is as stubborn as a bull."

"Hmm. Yes. I have noticed as much."

"What else?" The hothead growled lowly, making the two geniuses eye each other worriedly.

They both tried to reason with him. "Raph, why don't you calm down a little bit first okay?"

"No, I won't calm down, this is my girlfriend we're talking about here!" Raphael argued, sitting up on the lab table.

"Raphael, you really should try to take a few deep breaths, you will not do anyone any good in this state of rage."

Slowly, Raph came down from his angry volcano, the burning fire in his eyes dulling to a dim flicker. He took two, very shaky deep breaths. "Okay. Fine. I'm calm. Just tell me everything."

The purple-masked turtle was still a little bit worried, so he was thankful when Rockwell said, "One more outburst like that, Raphael and I will send you back out into the main room with the others. You are in no condition for high-stress levels. If you cannot keep yourself reasonably calm, I will not allow you to hear anymore of this."

Needless to say, Raph was not very pleased about that, but Donnie was relieved when he saw that his hotheaded brother really was determined to control himself.

Rockwell waited until the red-masked turtle accepted his terms with a nod before he went on. "As far as I can tell, while they did many DNA and blood tests over the years. And even though these are the complete records there are some aspects of the file that are missing, those sections are probably locked away in top secret government vaults. Donatello, I believe you once mentioned you suspected that her physical and psychological trauma was what had resulted in her inability to speak?"

"Yes." Don answered with a nod.

Rockwell motioned to the computer and Donatello immediately went to look over his shoulder. The monkey mutant turned the screen so that Raphael could see a little better as well. He pointed to a particular paragraph of text. "That is what they seemed to believe, too." The wrinkled, bony finger followed the line, "This scientist mentions that she would mutter and whimper in her sleep, yet never spoke a word to any of the people working there when she was awake or as they put it, in a clear state of consciousness."

Emerald green eyelids flicked closed and Raphael forced himself to take a long, slow breath. His inhale was halted by Rockwell's next word:

"Except—" Both turtles looked over at him, in anticipation. "—once. Three years later, at age nine, one of the female scientists who was observing her behavior, an intern according to the files, stated that Mona Lisa looked straight at her and asked 'Why are they hurting me?' I gather that the people in charge of the research facility, or possibly even the scientist in charge of Mona Lisa, quickly silenced the intern, paid her off, or had her transferred, because there is no further mention of the incident."

"The bastards." Don growled, his hands clenching into fists. "It makes me ashamed to call myself a scientist."

Rockwell agreed softly, "Indeed." Then his eyes moved away from Donatello and he tensed.

Curious, Donnie followed the monkey-mutant's gaze. His heart was plunged into a bucket of ice water. When Mona Lisa had that horrible nightmare a couple months ago, Donatello had thought to himself, _I've never seen Raph so upset._ That was a day at the beach next to this.

Raphael's eyes were closed. His entire body would be shaking if it weren't for the fact that he was using every ounce of strength in his body to keep still. Donatello thought that he was shaking from rage. And he was. But it wasn't just rage. A couple of tears dripped down his dark cheeks.

"Raphael…" Rockwell's voice was much softer this time, "Perhaps we should—" he was abruptly cut off.

"No." Raph said. His eyelids slowly flicked upward, uncovering his piercing, neon-green irises. His voice was so eerily level that the sound of it made Donnie inwardly cringe. "I'm not going anywhere. I need to know." After a long, slow moment of consideration, Rockwell nodded.

Making up his mind, Donatello hopped up onto the lab table beside his distraught sibling, flinging an arm across Raph's shoulders. His other hand, he offered to Raphael, who took it and squeezed it gratefully. Don grinned as his brother's tough-guy façade returned.

After sending a grim nod to his brother, Raphael turned back to Rockwell. "Go on."

"Aside from in-depth reports about every experiment they performed on her, which I do not think would be appropriate or tactful to present to you at this moment in time, there was only one really interesting piece of data which I believe will aid you in your efforts to find out more about Mona Lisa's background."

Don's bright brown eyes glanced down at their hands as Raph squeezed it in a death grip. They traveled slowly up to Raph's face. He wished that there was some way he could make this easier on Raphael, but he knew he couldn't. His other arm held his brother close to him. Even he was beginning to weaken under the strain of all this, but he had to stay strong. Right now, he was Raph's support. He wasn't about to let his brother down.

"It would seem as though the scientist who first brought Mona Lisa to the research facility is the same scientist who was in charge of the experimentation."

Don's eye-ridges furrowed, "What? But why would they allow that? Wouldn't they want a specialist of some kind?"

The monkey scientist sighed. "Indeed. I thought it was curious, as well. So I also dug into her personnel file. She is a research scientist and her qualifications are good, but hardly the type that most facilities would require for a research leader on a top-secret project. I suspect that she used Mona Lisa to further her scientific career and advance much more rapidly than normal."

Raph's grip was getting painfully strong now, but still Donatello said nothing. Barely keeping himself together, Raph asked, "You mean she said something like 'I'll hand over this mutant specimen if and only if you make me project head'?"

Dull, brown eyes glinted sadly and Rockwell frowned. "Yes. I'm afraid that is exactly what I mean." There was a moment of silence. All three of them could feel the anger swirling in the atmosphere. Rockwell's voice returned, this time with a hard edge, "I have looked through as much of her file as I could, but there is very little to go on. Her name is Rouge Knight. Dark hair, dark eyes and a dark disposition. I gathered from some of the other scientists' notes that she is not pleasant to work with."

"Did you get anything else? Pictures? Videos?" Don asked insistently.

Rockwell's eyes brightened, he turned back to the computer and began scrolling through the files in a frenzy. He stopped abruptly as he found exactly what he was looking for. "Here! I know it's not much help, but there were a few audio files tucked in with Knight's notes." He clicked on the file and it began to play.

 _Professor Rouge Knight, head of research project SX71364._

Donatello and Raphael went completely rigid and Rockwell immediately paused the audio. "What's wrong?" He asked, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable. Donatello looked as though he were planning a vicious murder. Raphael was the only thing keeping the brainiac from completely flying off the handle. Hesitantly, Rockwell repeated the question, "What's wrong?"

"That voice," Raphael growled. "That's the voice of the woman scientist who threw me down the drain pipe."

"Are you sure?" The monkey mutant asked slowly, getting a shaky nod in response.

Fists pounding on the door made everyone jump. "Open this door!" yelled a loud, and very angry-sounding Leo.

With a bitter smile, Raph removed himself from Don's grip. "Looks like we've been exposed, Don. Leo was probably listening at the door the whole time, and these walls aren't soundproof. Prepare yourself for a mighty lecture, the likes of which you've never seen before." He sneered, jokingly.

"Cut it out, Raph, it's bad enough as it is." Donnie said with a grimace.

Raph grinned at his little brother's predicament. "That's the problem with secrets, Donnie. They have a very bad way of blowing up in your face at the worst possible moments."

The hard pounding at the door continued and then Slash's voice could be heard. "Rockwell, let us in." At least Slash sounded relatively calm.

Rockwell sent the two turtles on the lab table a questioning glance. "Should I?"

Raphael nodded towards the door and leaned back leisurely. "Might as well. If we don't they'll bust it down anyway."

No sooner had Rockwell unlocked the door than Leo shoot into the room, Master Splinter trailing slowly after him. After that, Mona, Slash, Pigeon Pete, Leatherhead and Michelangelo all filed in one by one. Raph waited until they were all present before he remarked, "Well, now that we're all here."

Leo glared darkly at him and snapped, "Shut up! Just shut up!" His eyes stared straight into Raph's with a fiery fury that the hothead had seldom seen. Everyone else in the room exchanged shocked glances. Leo wasn't usually the type to yell like that. "Tell me the truth. Now." He ground out through his teeth.

Out of everyone in the room, Raphael was the most practiced when it came to his older brother's ire. He shook his head firmly and crossed his arms over his chest. "No."

"What?" Leo growled dangerously.

"No." Raph repeated, honestly and calmly. "It isn't my secret to tell." Slowly, he turned to Donatello.

The eldest turtle turned to his younger, purple-masked sibling and asked lowly, "What did you do?"

Donnie used all his power to remain strong and steadfast in the face of Leo's anger. "I went back to the research facility."

Everyone, aside from Rockwell, Raph, and Slash, gasped. Mikey, Splinter and Mona Lisa rapidly came forward. Mona Lisa rushed up to Donatello and worriedly felt him for injuries, the way she usually did with Raph. The hothead smiled at the sight. Mikey slowly pulled Don into a hug. The brainiac returned it stiffly. He could see the disappointed look in Master Splinter's eyes as the rat spoke. "Donatello, what you did was foolish and dangerous. After what happened to your brothers you are lucky that you made it out of there alive. You disobeyed my direct orders. My trust in you has now been shaken. I am most displeased, my son, and I hope you will understand that it will take time me to regain my trust in you."

Slowly, Donatello nodded. "I know, father. I understand. But I had to do what I did for our family's sake. I admit it was selfish and irresponsible of me to act in such a way, but I do not regret my actions. Though I can assure you, for what little my word is worth, that I have seen the error in my judgment. Were such circumstances to present themselves again…I would not make the same decision." There was a long pause. Michelangelo pulled away and Splinter drew closer, staring deep into Donnie's eyes. Finally, just when Don was starting to think that his father would never forgive him, the old rat pulled him into a fierce embrace.

"I should hope not, my son." There was a warning edge in Splinter's voice that told Donatello it was a very real threat. Master Splinter slowly released him.

"Donnie…" The turtle in question turned to face his eldest sibling and stared.

Leo looked stricken. He staggered forward, suddenly so unstable that Donnie had to reach out and balance him. Leonardo gripped him like a lifeline, squeezing all the air out of him in a bear hug. "Donnie…" He repeated, sounding even more desperate than Sensei.

Affectionately rolling his eyes as he patted his very over-protective and emotional big brother's carapace, Donatello said softly, "I got them, Leo."

The elder turtle's breathing hitched. "What?"

"I got the files. I got the intel that we needed." Don repeated, shaking Leo gently by the shoulders.

"Technically he had help." Raph added, "Even though he didn't intend to."

Dark blue eyes questioned his sibling and Raph pointed to his right, where Slash and Rockwell were standing side by side. Leatherhead and Pigeon Pete both let surprised noises.

"What? Slash, Rockwell, my friends, why did you not tell us?" The giant alligator mutant asked, sounding a little betrayed.

Rockwell sighed. "I believed that if I informed anyone else, Donatello would know he was being followed. And I wasn't entirely certain of his plans. The last thing I wanted was to arouse suspicion where none was needed."

Slash allowed Rockwell to justify himself before he gave his reasons. He looked past Raphael and Donatello at the other members of the turtle clan. "You were under enough stress as it was regarding Raphael's condition. I knew that telling you would have resulted in a panic and a heated confrontation, which was the last thing anyone needed. I decided to follow them and make certain that they both returned safely. After which, I confronted them both on their irresponsible behavior."

"Even if that criticism was a little hypocritical." Rockwell pointed out, earning a stern glare from the giant turtle.

Leatherhead grunted as he slowly considered their words. "I can understand your desire to act alone, my friends, but it was dangerous."

"I couldn't agree more." Slash said, raising his hand, placatingly. "And I do not intend to ever do this sort of thing again."

Raph's voice cut off anybody else's. "Good."

Everyone tensed as Leo spoke. His anger was back full force. "Donatello, if you ever do anything like this again I will personally see to it that you never leave the lair unaccompanied again."

Donatello gulped and nodded. "Understood."

The dark cloud over Leo's face lifted, replaced by his stoic, leader face. "You said you got the files. That's what Rockwell was talking about?" At Don's nod, his eyes flashed. "And you found out who hurt Raph?"

This time Don's answering nod was a little more delayed. He knew that Leonardo's anger was just as potent as Raphael's if one pushed the right buttons. The woman who had attacked Raphael had pressed all of them. And, of course, Donatello was smart enough to realize that as soon as he uttered the woman's name, Leo would storm off on a rampage. Reluctantly, Donnie filled his big brother and his family in on the information Rockwell had just given them. "She was also the head scientist in charge of the," he eyed Mona and lowered his voice a little, "experimentation on Mona Lisa."

"What is her name, Donnie?" Leo growled. The additional information that she was the one responsible for Mona's injuries only made him more furious. If there was one thing he wouldn't stand for, it was people hurting his family. This woman had brought more pain to his loved ones than he was going to stand for. It was settled. She needed to be neutralized. The wound Michelangelo had inflicted upon her was no longer enough for Leo's taste. Suddenly, a hard, angry voice broke his stormy reverie like a flash of lightning.

"You can't kill her, Leo."

All eyes turned to Raphael. Mona Lisa approached him warily, placing her hand on his shoulder. He lay his hand over hers gently and she climbed onto the table and sat on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist, tightly.

Leo's eyes were on fire. "I will do as I see fit."

"Over my dead body." Raph retorted, noticing the way that everyone stiffened. Mona was stroking the side of his face insistently, staring at him with wide, panicked eyes. He pecked her forehead sweetly and returned his attention to his older brother. "That woman was the one who brought Mona Lisa to the research facility in the first place."

"So?" Leo growled.

"So, we can't kill her if she's our only link to Mona's past! What if she knows something, Leo? What if she knows who Mona Lisa really is?" Raph sent Mona an apologetic look as she flinched at his volume.

"I'm not risking my brothers' lives for a 'what if' Raphael! I know that helping Mona find out who she really is important to you, but this woman is too dangerous!" Leo yelled, his face starting to get red with his anger and frustration, combined of course with the amount of air he was using to yell like this.

Raph looked down into Mona Lisa's eyes. She was staring straight up at him with confidence and reassurance. He shifted and gripped her shoulders tightly. He kept his voice low, this question was for her and her only. "Mona…do you want to find out the truth?"

A flicker of uncertainty glimmered in her eyes. She pulled Raph's hands off her shoulders and gripped them tightly in her own, never breaking their eye contact. He could feel the almost completely concealed tremor of nervousness in her hands. But slowly and resolutely, she nodded.

Raph's face steadied and his eyes dulled. He turned to Leo, defiantly. The feeling of Mona Lisa's hand in his gave him strength. He felt invincible. "I'm going to confront her, Leo. We have to know."

Leo glanced at his younger brother, then he looked down at where Raph and Mona's hands were joined. He exhaled slowly and bowed his head. There was no way he'd be able to convince Raphael otherwise.

Donatello straightened and cleared his throat. Raph and the others turned to him. "And I'll be right beside you." He stated, sending Raphael a look that told his older brother he wouldn't be backing down.

"Me too." Mikey added quickly, startling Raph a little. The hothead smiled at his little brother's enthusiasm.

A tap on his arm made him turn towards Slash. The big, spiky-shelled turtle glanced at the Mutanimals and they nodded at him. "So are the Mutanimals."

Raph grinned happily at Slash, but a soft tap made him turn back around. "My son," Splinter ran a loving paw over Raph's smooth head, "I will always support you and your brothers. I love you all very much."

"I'm sure April and Casey will help, too." Donnie added softly.

Raph nodded gratefully at them all. He turned to Leo and frowned. After gently lifting Mona off his lap, he slid down from the lab table. Don tried to step forward and help, but he motioned his younger sibling to stay back. His feet ground to a halt about a foot away from his older brother's.

Leonardo slowly lifted his head to look at Raphael.

The red-masked brother held out his hand. "We're gonna need a leader, big brother." Leo eyed the hand impassively, but didn't take it. Raph frowned and pushed it out further. His voice dropped with the intensity of his emotion. "We can't do it without you."

Never before had Raphael thought his older sibling capable of being even casually likened to an octopus. But he could think of no other way to describe the manner in which Leonardo was now clinging to him. It was an octopus or perhaps an extremely affection barnacle. There was absolutely no way he was going to be able to get Leo off before the leader was good and ready, but when Leo whispered, "I don't want you to get hurt," Raphael realized that he didn't want to.

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Review Please!**


	35. Talk to Me

**Sorry it's been so long guys. This chapter was gonna be longer, but I reached a good ending point so, yeah. Leo is still really emotional from all the things they've gone through and has been clingy. So naturally, Raph is getting antsy.**

* * *

 **Ch. 35-Talk to Me**

More than a month had flown past. The turtles were still laying low. Raphael's recovery was slow. They had returned to their lair about three weeks ago, but the Mutanimals were staying close and dropped in at least once every two days. To Leo's slight annoyance, Slash had been instrumental in Raphael's recuperation. Raphael leaned heavily on Slash's support, which Leo suspected was because the hothead found it too weak or embarrassing to ask for help from any of them. That was what irked him. He was Raphael's brother. Raph should trust him more than Slash! Of course, Raph did the same thing with Casey as well. But why?! Just why?! Why did Raph always trust those two with things that he'd never trusted his brothers with?

Leo discreetly glared at the red-masked turtle over the top of his Space Heroes comic that he was paying absolutely no attention to. Raphael was laying on the floor with Mikey, the youngest completely engrossed in whatever they were watching, and the red-masked sibling looking rather bored. Raph turned to him. Leo wasn't certain, but he had the feeling that Raphael could sense his displeasure.

"Hey, Leo, you wanna—I don't know—talk or something?"

Inside his very rational mind, Leo knew that staring an argument wasn't going to accomplish anything, but his emotions took control and his lip curled. "I don't know. Why don't you ask Slash?" He asked, a very caustic edge to his voice. It had exactly the result he'd expected. Raphael's eyes narrowed to the point where they were practically slits.

"What the shell is that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think?!" Leo retorted, his frustration building.

Not even a second after the words left Leo's mouth, Raphael was up on his feet. The hothead's growl made Mikey tear his eyes away from the television and look up at them with wide, worried eyes.

"Guys, just cool off."

They ignored him, of course.

"What do you have against Slash, Leo?! He's changed since—"

"It doesn't matter whether or not he's changed!" Raph took a step back, some of his anger withering to confusion. Leo jumped up and stepped directly in front of the red-masked turtle. "You've been depending almost entirely on him since you woke up!"

" _That's_ what this is about?" Raph asked, incredulously. He truly was shocked. Leo wasn't one to make mountains out of molehills. "Why does that even _matter_?"

Leo was only getting angrier and angrier. Mikey was backing away in fear as their argument threatened to escalate. He knew that at the first sign of real aggression he'd have to get Donnie or Master Splinter. Yes, Raph was almost fully recovered, but he was still in no condition for an all-out fistfight with their big brother.

"Why does it _matter_?!" Leo echoed, enraged. Raphael took a step back, though his face was still hard, his lips set in a growl. Leo's fists clenched. "It _matters_ because you trust him more than you trust your own brothers! We're family Raphael! We're supposed to support each other!"

"Oh, like you're so obviously doing right now by shouting at me?! If that's the kind of support you're offering to give then you can keep it and shove it up your shell!" Silence fell over them, broken only by a soft growl coming from the older of the two turtles.

Raph looked up, expecting to be met with a fierce, serrated glare, and he was. But his own glare lifted as he realized that Leonardo's mask was wet and the dark blue eyes behind it were watering. He softened his posture and his tone, stepping a little closer to his brother. "You've been supportive enough through this whole thing, Leo. I couldn't have asked for better support from anyone, big brother."

"You _talk_ to him." Leo said quietly, still angry, but also feeling drained and a little bit disheartened. "You tell him things that you'll never tell any of us. It shouldn't be that way Raph it should be—"

"What?!" Raph snapped, anger returning to his eyes, "It should be a world where I tell you guys everything? Where we have no secrets?" There was a brief pause and he went on. "Everyone has secrets, Leo. Everyone has things that they prefer to keep inside. I can't tell you everything. I haven't told Slash everything either, so whatever this thing is, just get it out of your system! I don't trust Slash anywhere near as much as I trust you. You're my brother and my leader. I will follow you to the ends of the galaxy if the need arises, but you can't expect me to just open up like a book for you to read! This world doesn't work like that, and I'm not that type of person."

"But you do talk to him! You talk to him in a way that you've never talked to us!"

What Raphael said next dropped like a bomb in the stale silence. "Of course I do. For eleven years of my life he was the only one in this place who listened to what I had to say! He knows me better than you ever will, Leo, brothers or not. There are some things that it's easier to talk about with someone outside the family. Slash and Casey, they're the ones I rely on for that kind of stuff."

Leo's voice was an airy whisper. "I won't accept that."

For the first time that Mikey could ever remember, there was absolutely no hint of warmth in Raphael. No anger, no compassion, no fire. Colder than a space vacuum, Raphael straightened his back and stared at his older brother.

"Then you're in for a long, hard battle."

Leo closed his eyes, some more tears escaping and running down his cheeks. He felt as though an icy wind had blown straight through him. Part of him was agreeing with Raph, telling him that he was melodramatic and childish. But the other part was screaming in agony, for it was as he had first begun to suspect back when Slash had told them about some of the things Raphael had said when they were kids. He had failed his little brother. He had failed Raphael, again. Of course he had. It didn't matter how successful or helpful he was to the others in the long run. He always failed Raphael. Every single time. And every single time, he realized his failure too late to truly correct it. Leonardo, the fearless leader, dropped to his knees and hit the ground with his fist.

"No!" He whispered weakly, hanging his head. "I can't—I won't fail you again! H-hurt…I never meant to hurt you, never! Why does it always end like this? Please…please, Raphael…I-I-I want you to let me in so that I…so that I can pay for all the hurt I caused…"

Raphael's face melted and his heart plummeted to the pit of his stomach. "Leo…" He whispered, dropping down beside his older brother and wrapping an arm around Leo's shoulders.

At the first hint of Raph's touch, Leo became a blubbering mess, and threw himself against his immediate younger brother's plastron. "…so I can make sure that I never hurt you again. Just knowing that I've hurt you—"

The younger, red-masked sibling shook his head.

"Some stuff did hurt me, Leo. But in the end, it all made me stronger. Without any of that I wouldn't be me. Family molds us into who we are, big brother. Love, laughs, hurt and all." Raph felt Leo's arms tighten around him and he returned the gesture, glancing over the leader's shoulder at their youngest brother. Mikey looked a little bit spooked, but was beaming at them, teary-eyed. Raphael grinned and shook his head, turning his attention back to comforting his older brother.

Leo needed this. That much, Raphael knew. The leader had been under way too much emotional strain lately. Between his recovery, Mona Lisa's speaking lessons, which according to Donnie were progressing incredibly well, the Mighty Mutanimal's visits to the lair, Casey and April keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity topside, and the ongoing search for more on 'Rouge Knight', Leo was completely overwhelmed. All six of them, including the leader himself, knew it, too.

A loud creak announced the entrance of Donnie and Mona who looked a little nervous. "Is everything alright in here?" The brainiac asked. "We heard yelling."

Raph sent him a pointed glare and Donnie shut his mouth, taking in the scene. Mona Lisa frowned a little bit she went over to the two older turtles and signed to Raph, 'Is he okay?'

Leo, who had heard their entrance and Mona Lisa's approach, immediate tried to pull out of the hug, but Raph wasn't letting go, the hothead seemed determined to keep him in place. "Raph…" he whined.

Raphael ignored him and instead answered Mona's question. "I don't know, but I'm not letting him go until he says he's good."

"I'm good! I'm good! Let go of me, meathead!" He said, wriggling to no avail. Finally he sighed and gave up. Mona Lisa was extremely amused and giggled at his predicament. He turned his head towards her and sent her the most desperate pout he could muster. Mona laughed but signed to Raphael that it was time to let the older turtle go. Leo grunted as he was dealt a swift conk on the back of the head before his sibling truly released him. "What was that for?!"

"For being an idiot. You're my brother, shell-head. You guys are always first in my mind."

Leo smiled gratefully at Raph for the reassurance. But then his more devious side began to emerge. "Really?"

Raph raised an eye-ridge. He could sense the shift in Leo's demeanor. He knew that Leo was being devious again, and that was almost never a good thing.

"Yeah, really."

With a very mischievous smirk, Leo allowed his eyes to drift over to Mona Lisa. His eye-ridges waggled suggestively. He grinned as he saw color creeping across Raphael's cheeks. Donnie and Mikey wore very similar expressions. But then the brothers all realized that Mona Lisa was blushing as well and that the two of them were staring at each other. Matching smirks curled at their mouths and they exchanged knowing glances. Raphael's mouth opened a little and he stammered for a few seconds. Finally he whispered:

"W-Well, I guess…maybe not exactly," he gulped, his eyes never leaving hers for a second, "first…" His voice faded away.

Mona's blush was dark enough to be visible from a mile away. She signed with shaking hands, 'I've got to finish my lessons,' and bolted back into the lab.

As Raph's face returned to its normal shade of dark emerald-green, while Donnie frowned at the gouged, grey surface of the lab door. Mikey was the first to notice the brainiac's strange expression. "Ya okay there, D?" He asked.

Raph and Leo turned to Donnie, making him slightly uncomfortable. He shook off their obvious concern, but the frown remained on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just…I'm wondering about Mona—"

Immediately, their red-masked brother was on edge. "What about her? Is everything okay?"

Don nodded slowly. "Yeah…She's a real fast learner. And I mean _real_ fast. She's already learned more in the past three weeks than most kids do in a full two years of schooling. She can read, write, and speak fairly well, albeit she sometimes has to take it slow."

The brainiac's three siblings blinked, their jaws hanging slightly open.

"I suspect that it's partially because of what she may have already learned before her mutation, but I have been considering doing a couple additional scans of her brain."

"Why?" Raph asked, a little bit weirded out by the fact that they were having a discussion about Mona's brain.

"Well…the other day I found her in my lab."

They all gave Donnie skeptical looks. Leo folded his hands in his lap and looked up at Donnie. "She doesn't like being in the lab alone, though. What was she doing there?"

Raph shrugged. "Probably looking for Don."

"I don't think so." He muttered, staring at the floor. He could feel his brothers' eyes staring expectantly at him so he didn't pause for long. "I think she tampered with some of my physics experiments."

"Mona?" Mikey scoffed. "Come on, dude." He said crossing his arms over his chest and frowning at the purple-masked turtle.

Don held up his hands. "I'm not accusing her of anything. She didn't do anything wrong. They _had_ been tampered with, but not in a harmful way. It was more like someone had just been trying to see what would happen if different adjustments were made."

"Where are you going with all this, Don?" Raph asked, starting to lose patience.

"I'm getting there, Raph." Don said slightly annoyed.

Raph rolled his eyes. "Then get there faster!"

The genius sighed exasperatedly and face-palmed. "Fine. In any case, I think that Mona Lisa has a very eager mind and a large brain capacity. She'd probably really like science. She's always enjoyed watching me work in the lab and so I just thought that maybe I could teach her some basic chemistry. You know, let her fool around a bit."

They stared at him like his head had just detached itself and walked away.

"Donnie, she spent years in a lab in captivity! She's not going to—"

Raph silenced Leo mid-sentence by holding up a hand. "Wait a second Leo, Don has a point. Mona's always curious about everything that she doesn't understand. She likes to examine that kind of stuff. I think you should ask her, Don, you might be right. She might like it."

Leo made a noise of protest and Raphael turned to him.

"I know it might be a challenge for her, but if she likes it then it will be worth it. She likes learning new things, and I wouldn't take an opportunity away from her. Besides, she can't live in the shadow of her past for the rest of her life."

Silence returned as the matter was settled for now. Don cleared his throat. "Uh, just one more thing, Raphael."

"Yeah?"

"Has she spoken to you at all?"

The hothead shook his head. "No." He didn't like the frown that spread across Donnie's face. "Let it go, Don. She knows that I don't care about whether she can talk or not. She'll do it when she's good and ready and if she doesn't, then she doesn't. It's her decision."

"That's not what's bothering me. It isn't just an issue of not speaking to you, Raphael. She doesn't speak to any of us if you are in the vicinity. I suspect—" He cut himself short and turned back to the lab door. "I better get back to the lessons. She's probably waiting." The door creaked after him and shut with a thud.

They stared after him, bewildered, confused, and in Raph's case, concerned.

* * *

Don slowly crossed the room to sit at the table beside her. She was reading aloud, softly, occasionally sounding out the difficult words. When she finished the sentence he placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him. "Okay?" She asked, her eyes eager for his opinion.

"Very good." Don answered flatly. He pulled himself up onto the corner of the table. "Mona, I wanted to talk to you about something." He said seriously.

Her soft, brown eyes met his and he sighed, tearing his gaze away. "I'm a little worried. For the amount of lessons you've had, you've grown incredibly proficient in written and oral communication. But you haven't been speaking very much. You talk to me and you talk a little bit to Mikey and Leo. I don't know whether or not you talk to Splinter, but what I'm trying to get at is that you don't talk to Raph."

Mona Lisa refused to meet his gaze when he looked up at her. He frowned. That just about confirmed his hypothesis.

"You're scared of talking in front of Raphael, aren't you?"

She made a so-so gesture. "I…" Don said nothing, offering his silent support and giving her the time she needed to compose what she wanted to say. "I want it to be perfect."

Not certain what she meant by that, he raised an eye-ridge.

"I don't want to speak at him 'til I'm better at it." She confessed softly.

"Raphael doesn't care how well you speak, Mona Lisa. He just cares about you." Don said, patting her shoulder softly. She smiled at him.

"I know. But I want to make him proud. I want to impress him." She said, struggling a little on the word impress.

Don smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't you worry, Mona. Whenever you do decide to show Raph what you've learned, I know he'll be really, really proud of you."

"Thanks, Donnie." She stood and kissed him on the cheek, giggling as he blushed. "You're awesome."

* * *

 **How was it?**


	36. Chemistry Lessons

**I was gonna dive straight into the rising action, but I felt like the clan has been through so much that they just need a little bit of fluffy time to get themselves back on the right track before they can really start chasing down Knight. So Fluff it is! Yay!**

 **P.S. I expect this to be about forty chapters or so in total, so we're getting close! I promise I will try my best to get all of the chapters out in a timely fashion. Sorry I haven't been more constant with updates over the last couple months. I really hope you still enjoy this story.**

 **P.P.S. I've been having a lot more trouble with this story since they introduced Mona Lisa into the series because now I constantly compare that version of her to the version I created for this and it throws me off. But I'm sticking to my original plot plan, which I inadvertently stumbled upon recently! (I'd written down how it ended and everything!) So, yeah…**

 **That's enough P.S.-s on with the story!**

* * *

 **Ch. 36-Chemistry Lessons**

There was movement in the dojo and the lights were on. Raphael rolled his eyes. Sure, he was supposed to be asleep already, but he had a different sleep schedule than his brothers. Besides, he'd been on house arrest for more than a week and he was restless. So he'd decided to watch a little TV to pass the time. But unfortunately, that hadn't worked out quite as he'd planned because someone was in the dojo. And it was most certainly one of his brothers. In which case he needed to go in there, confront said brother and kick their shell back to bed where it belonged. Seriously, was the only one capable of doing that job around here?! Raph sighed and trudged over to the dojo, sliding the door open quietly so that he could peek in and see who was there. His jaw dropped and he stared. He was wrong. It wasn't one of his brothers. It was Mona Lisa.

She was…training. She was actually practicing katas. He blinked, closing his jaw with a quiet click. Sure, he knew that his Sensei had been training with Mona since before he'd gotten injured but…he himself had not been present for any of their more recent sessions. He had no idea that she had progressed so far. Yeah, they were just simple katas, but her form was…impressive. He cleared his throat to signal his presence.

Mona's head snapped up in shock, her footing faltered and she face-planted. She looked up and sent him a very dirty glare.

He smirked, confident that she hadn't hurt herself. Mona was tough. A little impact with the floor wouldn't hurt her much. And even if it did, she wouldn't blubber about it. He snickered. "Clumsy, much?"

She growled at him and signed. 'Am not! And it was your fault!'

The turtle threw up his hands. "Of course," he said sarcastically, "it's always my fault." Though to others he might have sounded rude or defensive, Mona took it as it was intended: a playful tease.

'See anyone else around here whose fault it could be?'

Raphael stared intently at her and raised an eye-ridge. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Mona Lisa groaned and put her hands on her hips. 'You are so smug.'

"I can afford to be." He smirked, preening.

She crossed the room and leaned in really close to him, a small smile on her face. He leaned forward, mesmerized, but she pulled away at the last second and swatted his head playfully, tugging at his bandana-tails. 'You wish!'

The hothead growled playfully, his eyes lit up as he took her behavior as a challenge. With a hushed battle cry he charged and bowled her over, the two of them hitting the floor in a flurry of giggles. Mona shoved him off and jumped to her feet getting into a ready position. He smiled and dropped into one himself, preparing to go easy on her. What he wasn't expecting was that her punches would be quite so powerful. It wasn't until after she dealt him a rather well aimed uppercut that he really started to take her seriously. He stepped back and wiped his mouth, feeling the ache in his jaw. Deciding that enough was enough, he jumped out of reach of her kick, minding her tail as it swept beneath him, trying to throw him off balance. He caught her next punch in his hand and their eyes met. "Easy there, killer. Sparring's fun and all, but I'd really like my head to stay attached to my shoulders."

The lizard mutant huffed and pulled her hand away, pointedly avoiding his gaze as she signed, 'Wimp.'

"I am not!"

She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at him. 'You're just afraid I'll beat you!' Mona accused, poking him in the plastron.

He scoffed, affronted. "Why you little—"

Taking advantage of his moment of distraction she struck, her tail sweeping his legs out from under him, making him fall back on his carapace. He started to get up, but a soft weight pressing against him made him fall back down. She leaned down slowly, capturing his lips in a kiss. He sighed, melting into it with a goofy grin.

That was when the door slid open.

"What is going on in here?! Raphael, I—"

Mona Lisa pulled back, but remained straddling the turtle, almost as though she were pinning him down. Raph's face turned redder than a tomato. He stared at his father, stuttering like mad.

"Umm…It's not how it looks Sensei! We were just sparring!"

Splinter's eyebrows rose to the top of his forehead. "Ah, I see." It was the tone Sensei used whenever he didn't truly believe them, but would basically accept the answer as satisfactory.

"But it's true! We were just—"

"Enough, Raphael." Splinter interrupted, holding up a hand to silence his son. "It is very late and I expect both of you at training in the morning. Get some rest." He said sternly. Raph nodded. The old rat turned his back to them. "Goodnight, my students."

"Goodnight Sensei."

Splinter closed to the screen door to his room behind him. He rolled his eyes and shook his head with a small smile on his face. "Hehehe." He chuckled, thinking of the look of absolute mortification on Raphael's face. Kids.

Raph stared up at Mona and she stared down at him. Both of them were a little bit weirded out by what had just occurred. It seemed almost surreal as though it hadn't just happened. But it had. Both of their faces were red. They stared at each other for a long time, until finally, Raph started shifting.

"Hey, ya mind letting me up, here?"

Her eyes widened and she extricated herself, offering the turtle a hand up. He took it graciously, but even after they were standing he didn't let it go. As the grip on her hand lingered, Mona Lisa looked down at their adjoined hands then slowly back up to Raphael. They both pulled away at the same time and chuckled nervously.

'Sorry.' Mona signed.

Raphael smiled, though he was tense. "Don't worry about it. We should probably get to bed."

Her eyes dimmed a little and she sighed, nodding reluctantly.

"You okay?"

She stepped towards him and leaned against his plastron. 'Yeah, just not anxious to go to bed.'

Concern filled his face and took her hands in his. "Your nightmares?" He asked softly. She slowly nodded. Raphael frowned and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned against him. "Well, ya want some company?"

Mona beamed at him and kissed his nose. 'It's sweet of you, but I'll be fine.'

"You sure?" He sent her a skeptical stare.

Rolling her eyes, she nodded. 'Yes, I'm sure. I _can_ take care of myself ya know.' She punched him in the shoulder. He grinned wanly.

"Yeah, I know you can. I just worry, that's all."

Cupping his face in her hands, she wrapped her tail around his shell and tugged him closer. 'Right back at you.' She kissed him softly, yet with a passion that left Raphael leaning after her as she pulled away, hungry for more. 'Goodnight, Raphael.'

His cheeks flushed a little and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "G-goodnight, Mona Lisa."

* * *

The next day started off, interestingly enough, with a bang. Raphael's emerald green eyelids flicked open at the sound of clanging metal. What the shell?!

He groaned and rolled over to face the wall, pulling his pillow down over his head. If there was one thing that he missed about the Mighty Mutanimal's lair, it was the peace and quiet. Even though there's never much peace and quiet where Mikey was concerned, at the Mighty Mutanimals' lair at least he'd had Leatherhead to keep him busy.

The clanging metal was still clanging, though as it drew closer to his room, Raph realized it was accompanied by a loud, obnoxious voice. "GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE! GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE! GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!"

He growled and leapt out of bed a lot faster than he probably should have. His legs ached a little, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He stomped over to the door of his room and flung it open just in time to catch his baby brother holding two metal trashcan lids, about to slam them together. Mikey froze. Raph glared. There was a split second of inaction before he growled, "I will POUND you, Mikey!" and raised a fist.

To Mikey's credit, he reacted quicker than Raph had expected. He slammed the two trashcan lids together making his now furious older sibling jump and cover his ears. Mikey took advantage of the opportunity. He dropped the lids and sprinted away. He could hear Raph shouting after him, "Michelangelo, you are so dead!"

He grinned and just kept running, shouting over his shoulder, "Gonna have to catch me first, bro!"

Leo's door opened and the eldest turtle stepped out, a dark frown on his face. "What is going on out here?"

"What's all the yelling?" Don mumbled, poking his head out of his room. His purple mask was lopsided and his voice was thick with sleep.

Mona Lisa wandered out of her room, her hair a tangled mess. She went over to Leo's side and tapped the oldest turtle's shoulder. "What?" She asked.

Leo realized that she was asking him what was happening. He shook his head. "I have no idea." Suddenly, he sensed an incoming. He yanked Mona out of the way just in time as an orange blur came speeding down the hall. "What the—Watch it, Mikey!"

The orange blur was followed closely by a red one. Leo's arm shot out and caught Raph before the hothead could get his hands on their little brother. "Raphael, what are you _doing_?"

"What's it look like, Fearless?" He growled grumpily, crossing his arms over his chest. Mikey took advantage of Raph's distraction to dart into his room and close the door. They all heard the lock click. Then all eyes were back on Raph. He blinked at them. "What?"

Donnie yawned and straightened, warily attempting to put a hand on Raph's shoulder. Raph growled, so he immediately backed off instead. "Calm down, Raph. You aren't supposed to be over-exerting yourself."

"Tell that to Mikey!" The hothead retorted.

"Don't let him get to you, Raph. Mikey's just being Mikey." Leo offered sensibly.

Raph seemed to accept that and he calmed down a little. "Fine. But I'll still beat some sense into him when he comes out of there." He turned towards Mikey's room. "Ya can't hide in there forever, Mikey!"

"Can too!" Came the impudent reply.

Leo decided it was time to step in. "Oh no you can't. You're making us breakfast." He remarked sternly, placing his hands on his hips. He caught Raph's eyes. There was just a little bit too much dark glee in Raph's face for his liking. He put a hand on Raph's shoulder. Then he proceeded to bargain with Mikey. "Look, you come out and make breakfast, and Raph will have to limit his beat-down to training time only, okay?"

"It ain't okay with me." Raph grumbled, but Leo's grip on his shoulder tightened and he sighed. Damn. Fearless wasn't going to give him a choice.

Standing slightly behind the two older turtle siblings, Mona got an idea. She crept up behind Raphael and threw her arms around his neck. It was done gently and in a playful fashion that wouldn't choke him. He started at first, but when he realized who it was, he grinned and leaned into the contact. "Hey you." He said softly. She smiled at him and let go. He turned around. They looked into each other's eyes. He kissed her softly.

Leo and Don rolled their eyes and looked away. Raph and Mona didn't pay any attention to them. The red-masked turtle pulled slowly out of the kiss. He frowned a little and she sent him a questioning look. "You taste like carrots." He muttered.

Mona Lisa rolled her eyes. She smirked playfully and gestured, 'It's why you love me!'

It was Raph's turn to roll his eyes. "Just one of a million reasons."

Donnie and Leo were watching the two of them now with interest. They looked at each other. Then they looked at Raph. The hothead was smirking. Mona Lisa was staring at him wide-eyed, her cheeks flushed. Leo smiled at his younger sibling. Pretty smooth. Pretty smooth. But that didn't mean he was gonna let an opportunity slip through his fingers.

"Kiss up." He muttered, making sure that it was loud enough for Raph to hear. The hothead's face turned red with embarrassment and Leo smiled, turning to head for the kitchen. The next thing he knew, he was being yanked back and pinned to the floor.

"You were saying Lame-o-nardo?"

Leo rolled his eyes and remarked innocently, "Oh? Did I say something?"

Raph's smile could only be described as villainous and it made Leo nervous, not that he'd ever admit it out loud, of course. "You're sarcasm stinks, bro. You know what you said!"

Leo crossed his arms over his plastron and smirked playfully. "Ah, but you can't prove I said anything."

"Maybe not. But I pinned you and now you have to say it!"

The leaders dark blue eyes narrowed and he frowned. "No. Mikey is the only one who ever has to say it."

"Looks like I just changed that, doesn't it?" Raph said with a smile, his eyes gleaming eerily.

Leo pouted. "No. I won't say it, Raphael!"

"Tch-tch-tch-tch," Raph shook his head. "Leo, Leo, Leo…" he said with an air of disappointment, "So proud, so in denial that he can't even admit to the truth of the situation here."

Hearing Raph talking to him like that made Leo want to gag.

…And punch Raphael in the face. But he'd save that for later. He grit his teeth. Raphael just smiled.

"C'mon Leo. Prolonging it isn't gonna help ya. I can wait as long as you can."

"Ugh, fine. You win." He grumbled and cleared his throat. "Raphael is all wise and powerful." He stopped, hoping Raph would let it slide, but deflated as soon as he saw the devious smirk on Raph's face. He sighed. "…and he's…better than…me…in every…possible…"

"C'mon, bro. Stop dragging it out." Raph said goadingly, a big smile on his smug, emerald-green face.

Leo looked away and wiggled uncomfortably beneath his immediate younger brother's weight. "…way."

"There you go. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Raph cooed, patting his head as though he were a pet. Leo growled. Raphael knew very well how hard it was for him to say it, and especially in front of the whole family. And… _Master Splinter?!_ _When had Master Splinter gotten here?!_ Oh, Raph was so going to pay!

"Don't think I won't get back at you for this, _little_ brother!"

Raph smiled at the hint of promise in Leo's tone and met his big brother with a sharp stare that said 'bring it'.

Donnie chuckled and leaned against Mikey, who was doubled over with laughter. "I don't know, Leo. You _were_ asking for it."

"I—I can't!" Mikey laughed, "I mean, did you see his face?! Leo, you've always had awesome facial expressions dude, but shell, that was totally wicked!"

Leo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, pouting as his little brothers continued to laugh. Raph smiled and thre an arm across Leonardo's shoulders and began steering him towards the kitchen. "Aw, lighten up, Leo. I know you didn't really mean it."

"Then why did you force me to say it?" He asked, annoyed.

Raphael just smiled. "Because next time you'll think twice before poking fun at me and Mona."

A smirk crossed Leo's face and he shrugged. "I don't know, Raph. It's awful fun to see you get flustered." He quipped playfully.

In an oddly, amusing way, Raphael seemed happy that Leo was being impertinent. "Oh, I'll show you flustered! Because apparently you didn't learn your lesson the first time—"

"Okay, okay, cool your shells, bros! It's time for breakfast." Mikey said, shoving between them to get to the kitchen first. "Who wants scrambles?"

The other turtles and Mona all looked at each other. Mona Lisa nodded to Mikey almost immediately.

Leo and Raph shrugged and nodded. "Sure."

"Fine by me." Don added.

"I'll get the toast and juice going. Raph, can you check what we've got in the fridge? April said she'd go shopping today." Raphael sighed and trudged over to the fridge. He opened the door lazily. All three of his brothers tensed as he gasped and stepped back, his lip curled in disgust.

"Raph, you okay?" Leo asked slowly.

"Eugh! Carrots." He grumbled.

All of the others relaxed, relieved that nothing was wrong. Leo couldn't help but grin at Raphael from where he was sitting at the counter. He had a great vantage point of the hothead and was probably the only one of the four of them who noticed that Raph actually used the handle of his sai to push the carrots to the side. _Oh, Raph._ He thought, rolling his eyes, as he saw the hothead's mouth move and barely managed to catch a low rumble of:

"Carrots, carrots…" the hothead opened a drawer and his beak wrinkled with disdain. "…more carrots." Raph sifted around some more, still using his sai handle.

Sensei walked in and glanced over his sons smiling as he sensed the cheer in the surrounding atmosphere. As long as his family was happy, the old rat couldn't be more pleased. He saw a rare, open smile on Leonardo's face and followed the line of the eldest turtle's gaze to Raphael, who was shoving food around in the refrigerator with… _a sai? Ah, Raphael._ Splinter shook his head, a smile forming on his face as well.

Raph grunted as he found some pepperoni in the far back corner behind a forest of carrot greens. "Pepperoni." He muttered. He turned it over to check the date, just to make sure it was still safe to eat, then he chucked it at the back of his little brother's head.

Mikey caught the package without so much as turning his head. "Alright. How do carrot pepperoni scrambles sound to you?"

Mona nodded eagerly. Raphael growled and grumbled, "Hold the carrots."

Leo smiled.

* * *

Later that day, as they concluded Mona's speaking lessons, Donnie told the lizard mutant that he had something to ask her. She stared expectantly at him.

"What is it, Don?"

"You haven't been…well…" Don rubbed the back of his head. "…tampering with anything in my lab, have you?"

"Uh…" her cheeks darkened a little. She glanced over at his physics experiments, the ones that he meant, but hadn't actually stated were the ones that had been tampered with. "Yeah. I—I just wanted to see what would happen. You had said that they weren't dangerous, so…"

Don held up his hands. "No, no, it's okay. I'm not mad at you or anything. I just wanted to know. I just wanted to ask you before I directly assumed Mikey had started sneaking in here and messing with my stuff again. Besides, you didn't do any harm, so it's alright."

She smiled meekly at him. He smiled back, but his smile slowly turned into a frown. He reached out to grab her hand. "Mona, there's something I've been wanting to ask you. It seems to me like you really enjoy learning about…well, everything. If you're interested, I could introduce you to the basic math and sciences."

One her eyebrows rose and she leaned back a little. "You mean, experiments and stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Like what?"

Donatello shrugged, stull rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Um, like basic chemistry. I can show you an example, come on." He motioned her to follow him over to the long table where he kept a lot of his chemicals, blueprints and works-in-progress. She trailed after him with a bit of hesitance in her gait, but indulged him. Donnie had cleared off his worktable this morning just for this. He motioned her to come even closer. Mona Lisa finally came up to the table and stood next to him. He passed her a pair of goggles. "Now, these chemicals are harmless, but just to uphold tradition, you should always protect your eyes during a lab."

Mona put them on and blinked at the strange feeling. She fiddled with them a little and whined. "Donnie, these feel weird." She whined, sounding, in Donnie's opinion, very much like an eight-year-old child.

"Here, let me adjust them for you." He smiled, his fingers tugging on the adjusters on the side of her goggles. "There, better?"

She nodded. He smiled. "Good, now," he held up a box, "this is baking soda. And this," he pointed at the bottle on the table, "is vinegar. Take the bottle of vinegar and pour and some into that graduated cylinder."

She followed his instruction and poured some of the clear liquid, which smelled strange, into the thing he'd called a 'graduated cylinder'. He smiled and she grinned uncertainly at him. He patted her shoulder, sending her a sweet, charming little grin. Don was so kind that he was always a very difficult person to say 'no' to. She wasn't sure about the whole 'chemistry' thing, but she trusted him. He spooned some baking soda into a small cup and flashed her another smile.

"Watch this." He poured it in with the vinegar and it began to hiss.

Initially, she jumped back, clinging to his carapace. But as soon as Mona realized it was coming from the chemicals in the cylinder, she relaxed and crept over towards it in fascination. Donnie couldn't help but smile at the look of absolute wonder on her face. The cylinder was fizzing at the top bubbly foam oozing down the sides. The lizard mutant reached out to touch it, but stopped and glanced at the brainiac questioningly.

"It's completely harmless."

That was all the confirmation that she needed. Mona touched the foam, trying hold some, but it quickly just fizzled away between her fingers. Leaning directly over the top of the cylinder she stared down into the foamy mess. "Whoa." Her eyes were wide, filled with excitement and lit with awe. She took a short whiff of it and her beak wrinkled, her mouth opened and her tongue hung out as she made a disgusted face. "Ew."

Don chuckled. "Yeah, it doesn't smell so great, I know." He sputtered in shock as the air was knocked out of him.

Mona clung eagerly to his plastron. "What happened? How does it work? Why did it do that? How did it do that? Can we do it again? Can I add the white, powdery stuff? Please, please, please?!"

Taken aback by her sudden outburst, Don slowly managed to peal the lizard mutant off of him. "Uh…sure."

"Yay!" She exclaimed, her tail swishing happily behind her. Then her hands were on his shoulders and she was suddenly too close for comfort. In fact, she was practically in his face. "Why did it do that?"

"Well…" His brain struggled to come up with an explanation that she would be able to understand. "The vinegar contains acid and the baking soda contains a base. When combined acids and bases react with one another which can form water or gases and produce…well, bubbles."

"Cool." She said, stars in her eyes. "Now let's do it again!"

Don grinned. "Alright, but lets try something different this time." He poured some vinegar into a plastic bottle. "You can get the baking soda."

She beamed at him and nodded eagerly. Her face was very much like the one Leo had whenever he watched Space Heroes: complete fascination, adoration, and interest. Mona got the baking soda and looked at him. Donnie nodded at her. "Okay now put it in the bottle." She did. He pulled a balloon out of his belt. "I'll just snap this on…" He put it around the mouth of the bottle and as the reaction inside continued to fizz, the balloon began to expand.

"Whoa!" Mona exclaimed, grabbing Donnie's arm excitedly. He grinned and laid his hand over one of hers. She was so sweet. Maybe he didn't show it all the time…but he really did love her. In his mind, she was a little sister, someone he needed to nurture and protect and teach. And he would do just that because it was no less than she deserved.

"It's the gas being created that's pushing up into the balloon, causing it to expand."

"Cool. Can we do another one?" She asked, with all the eagerness of Michelangelo on a sugar high.

Don blinked and stroked his chin. "Well, I guess I can show you what happens when you combine hydrogen peroxide, sodium iodide, and dish soap." She was clinging to him again and he tensed at her closeness.

"Please! Please! Please! I wanna see! I wanna know what happens! Show me! Show me!"

"Okay! Okay! Just let me get the stuff!"

"I'll help!" Mona chimed cheerfully.

Once they had gathered all the materials, and cleaned up the leftovers of the baking soda/vinegar experiment, Donnie instructed her on what to do. They each had a large graduated cylinder. "Alright pour it in when I say and then step back, okay? And don't touch the cylinder, either. This reaction does yield some heat, so we have to be careful." She nodded, a little bit nervous. He smiled. "Don't worry, it's not that dangerous as long as we take the proper precautions."

She nodded.

"Ready."

She nodded again.

"Okay…Now!"

They each dumped the beaker of chemicals into the cylinder containing the rest of the reactants and stepped back. Mona watched in amazement as foam rose out the top of the cylinder and expanded until it covered a good-sized portion of the area around it. Some of it even dropped off the side of the table. It coiled out and around in a snake-like fashion, eventually slowing to a stop. She clapped her hands excitedly and leaned on Donnie's shoulder.

"Booyakasha! That was so cool! Can we do more? What else have you got in here? Ooh, what about those? Can we just add things together and see what happens?" She moved so fast he could only blink in astonishment. When he realized what she had in her hands he stiffened.

"Mona, wait!"

"What if we add these two together?" She added two of the slightly glowing liquids to each other in a beaker and the solution turned black.

"Mona stop!" Don pushed her aside and looked down at the beaker and raised an eye-ridge in confusion when nothing happened. "I don't understand it, these chemicals should have—" he was cut of mid-sentence by a loud 'POOF', smoke billowing out into his face. Mona Lisa gasped, concerned, but as soon as the smoke cleared, she giggled. Don was glaring down at the beaker, his face entirely black from whatever it had spewed at him. He grumbled irritably. "Delayed reaction. Cute. Real cute."

Mona laughed. "Your face!"

"What about it?" He asked, confused. She giggled.

"You've got black stuff all over it! Can we do it again, Donnie please?"

"No, Mona."

Her bottom lip pushed out. "Aw, please? It was so cool! And it didn't hurt anyone! Please! Can I try something else? Maybe one of these?" She held up one of the other chemicals. The next thing he knew she was over at his chemical cabinet. He let out a sound of protest, but could scarcely say a word.

"Wait, slow down!"

His face paled as he saw the container of pure potassium in her hand. "Careful! If you add that to water it could explode!"

She looked at the bottle in her hand, but instead of fear, he saw interest in her eyes. "Ooh! I wanna try it! Please, can we try it, Donnie, please! I wanna see!"

* * *

Two hours later, Donatello emerged from the lab, exhausted, drained and utterly terrified. His brothers looked up at him from where they were seated in the sunken living area. "Donnie?" Leo asked, concerned.

Raphael stood and crossed his arms, raising an eye-ridge at the brainiac. "What's wrong with you?"

"I think I made a horrible mistake."

Leo canted his head. Raph's eyes narrowed and Mikey looked worried. The eldest stood and steered their smart brother over and made sure Don sat down. Raphael took one look at Donnie's blackened face and asked:

"Let me guess, one of your inventions blew up in your face?"

Don shook his head. "N-no. I created a monster."

"What do you mean?" Leo asked, confused.

"Mona."

Concern flared in Raph's green eyes and he bounded forward. "Mona?! Where is she? Was she in there with you? Is she okay? What happened?"

"She's fine…for now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Leonardo also tensed and leaned forward with concern, his hands clenching slightly.

Don blinked still shaking lightly. "You were right, Leo. The chemistry was a bad idea."

"Huh?! Did it trigger a flashback? How could you just leave her alone in the lab? I'm gonna—" Raph stood and began to head for the lab, but hand caught his wrist and tugged him back.

"You better not, Raph. It's a war zone in there. I made a major mistake. I forgot to taker her extreme zealousness into account."

Raph was lost and he growled at Donatello. "Either you explain right now, Don, or I'm gonna kick your shell."

"She's out of control! I can't stop her! She's so fast! And she asks so many questions but doesn't give me time to explain! She's absolutely impossible!" He cried, distressed.

Raph and Leo's faces melted into smiles. Mikey was already grinning.

"Sounds like Mona's giving Don a run for his money."

"She can't be that bad, Don." Leo said with a chuckle.

Don's face paled as he stared up at the blue-masked turtle. "Leo…If I had to choose between her and Mikey, I'd choose Mikey."

Their jaws dropped and the three of them stared in shock.

"You can't be serious." Leo stated, disbelievingly.

Don leveled them a stare that showed just how serious he was. But their attention was jerked away as a loud BOOM from the lab shook the ground slightly. Don shot up, his eyes frantic.

"You just left her in there with all the chemicals?!"

"She said she was done!"

Raph growled as they raced towards the door. Before they could get there, however, it swung open and a lime-green blur dashed past them to collide with the brainiac, knocking him to the floor. Her face was covered in black grime and smoke.

"Donnie, Donnie, Donnie, Donnie, Donnie! I added the bright blue one to the orangey one! And then I put in some of the other blue one and the green one! It exploded! You should have seen it! It glowed so pretty and then…BOOM! It was so AWESOME! You've got to come and see! I'll do it again! Come on!"

"Mona, we really shouldn't…Making things explode isn't exactly safe…"

"But it's really cool! I like it when they explode! That's the best part! Come on!" She tugged on his arm.

The other three stared in shock, floored by Mona's behavior. Leo stared at her in shock. He'd never heard her say so much in such a short span of time. But then he realized something else: Raphael hadn't either. And Raph was in the room. Whether Mona Lisa had even noticed that, Leo had no idea. He turned to his immediate younger brother with an eye-ridge raised. He smiled.

Raph's eyes were wide and bright, gleaming with awe, pride, and brimming with, what Leo could only assume to be tears of joy. As soon as the hothead realized he was being watched, he shook his head and wiped his eyes. "So you like blowing things up, then?" Raphael asked, his voice a little softer than usual, lacking its usual rough edge.

Mona answered the question without turning away from her current task, which was pulling Donnie back into the lab. "Yeah. It's really awesome! I like to see what happens when I add them all together. It's so cool! I wanna do it again! It's just so exciting seeing the—" Her voice dropped off into nothingness as the truth slowly dawned on her. She'd assumed that Leonardo had asked the question. But that wasn't Leo's voice. Haltingly, she turned. Her mouth closed.

Raph took a few steps towards her. "Your voice is beautiful."

She blushed and her arms fell away from Donnie's arms. One of her hands rubbed her neck nervously. "T-thanks."

Happiness surged up from within him and he couldn't help but sweep her up into his arms. He hugged her close, not really caring that it got black soot-stuff on his face. Whispering into her ear, he had to wipe another happy tear from his right eye. "Mona Lisa, I'm so happy…you…I…I…" Mona pulled away for a second and caught the tears in his eyes. Her heart swelled and she pulled him close to squeeze him tightly.

"I speak…well?"

"Are you kidding?" He asked, disbelieving. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I'm so proud of you."

Little tears of joy rolled down her cheeks and she laughed, kissing him loudly on the cheek, then rubbing their beaks together affectionately. Then she pulled away, and turned back to Donnie. "Come on Don! I wanna show you how it blows up!" She pulled at the brainiac. He took a deep breath and finally surrendered.

"Alright."

"Wait for me! I'm coming too!" Mikey yelled. Then the three of them were gone.

Leo crossed his arms and stared at his one remaining sibling. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"That my girlfriend is a pyromaniac?" Raph asked, his arms hanging down at his sides, his shoulders slumped.

Dark blue eyes shifted over to him and blinked, Leo's face remaining mostly blank. After a few seconds Leo nodded shallowly, still looking at Raph. "Well…yes. But more importantly, it means we have to help Donnie build a cabinet that we can lock his chemicals in."

Raphael rolled his eyes and his face, already extremely exasperated by the craziness that was his life, drooped even further. "Great."

Leo couldn't help but grin at the look on Raph's face, but the moment was cut short as another boom from inside the lab made them jump. Raph sighed and face-palmed. "Ugh, and the sooner the better."

Shoulders and arms drooping down at the thought that they'd probably all have to clean up the lab later, Leo reflected his brother's facial expression. "We have the _strangest_ life."

Raph snapped out of his stupor and stared at his big brother. "You need a doctor, Leo?"

"No, why?" The eldest asked frowning as Raph's hand pressed against his forehead. Obviously it was some kind of joke, but Raph's face was all seriousness and that only confused him more.

Raph's eye-ridges rose and he crossed both arms over his plastron. "Because you're just realizing this…now." The hothead finished, sending his older brother a pointed stare. Leo's eyes rolled.

"C'mon hothead, they might need help."

"Why do we put up with them, again?" The question was obviously a rhetorical one, but Leo answered it out of habit.

"Because they're our family."

"Oh, yeah, right. I forgot."

Leo sent Raph a stare that he hoped would convey to the younger turtle that the sarcasm was not appreciated. Raph just huffed and looked away. Another, quieter boom made them pause right outside the lab door. They looked at each other. Leo shrugged and smiled. "You guys might be crazy, but I wouldn't have you any other way."

Raph grinned and punched him in the arm, hard.

"Hey!"

"That's for including me with the crazies!" He grunted as he stormed into the lab. Leo laughed and trailed in after him.

* * *

 **Well, How was it? Review Please!**


	37. Not So Calm Before the Storm

**I'm on spring break, so I'll be trying to get these next few chapters out before the end of the week! So this story should hopefully be done before the end of the month! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ch. 37-Not So Calm Before the Storm**

Despite everything that had been going on in the lair lately, Mona Lisa was restless. Even the extra hours she spent in her lessons with Donatello learning basic science and mathematics did little to help her release all of her pent-up energy. Training with Master Splinter had become relatively mundane. It just wasn't challenging anymore. She had been asking to move forward for days now, but every attempt was met with a kind pat on the shoulder and a demand that she be patient. She was tired of being patient. On top of all of that she knew that the turtles were slowly laying down plans for the future now that Raphael was back into near optimum condition.

Silent though she was, Mona Lisa was slowly getting fed up with her lover's constant attempts to shield her. One of the qualities that had drawn her to Raphael in the first place had been the way he treated her like an equal rather than a child. She loved his protective streak too, she always had, but she didn't appreciate being left out of the loop. She could hear their whispers traveling through the lab door when they gathered to plan. She knew they were discussing in detail the records that Donatello had found. She also knew that Raphael was only trying to spare her the pain that would accompany that information, but she deserved to know it. Hadn't he said that himself? Wasn't that the point of all this? Wasn't that why Raph had refused to kill this scientist, so that she could learn the entire truth about everything that had happened to her? Mona Lisa wasn't stupid. She knew that despite Raphael's argument to Leo that they needed to know the truth, the 'they' in that sentence meant Raphael. The hothead probably intended to go in on his own and bring whatever information he gleaned out of their enemy back with him. But Mona didn't want it to be that way. Not this time. She didn't want to have to wait at the lair knowing that Raphael could be in mortal danger. She didn't ever want to have to relive the anguish of the turtles returning without a brother.

So she had to keep training. She had to keep moving ahead. She just had to as long as she wanted to accompany them on their mission to find her scientist tormentor. Her lime-green eyelids snapped open as she caught the gentle slid of the painted door that led to the room behind the dojo. Long, striped tail twitching, she turned to look up into the face of the old rat.

"Mona Lisa, it is late. You should rest."

She pulled her eyes away and resumed her lotus position. Splinter sighed and cross the room slowly, his long tail rubbing softly against the floorboards with a gentle swish. It wasn't until she felt a firm claw on her shoulder that she met his eyes again. He must have caught the restlessness and frustration in her eyes because he sighed and knelt beside her.

"My student, you wish to know why I have not allowed you to advance?"

That got her attention. She looked up at the old rat and noticed how prophetic he looked in the dim glow of the candles. Drawing her tail behind her and pulling her knees together, Mona leaned forward impatiently.

"The next step of your training involves the selection of a weapon."

Mona Lisa sat back on her haunches. So that was it. She opened her mouth to object but Splinter silenced her.

"A student may only be entrusted to a student once their master feels that they are prepared for the challenges of true combat. Mona Lisa, though you have taken great stride in your physical and emotional training thus far, there are still many painful memories locked away inside of you. I have seen the way that you react to blades and needles. Such a reaction in the midst of a battle would allow any enemy the ability to end you. Allowing you to go out into battle with my sons would create danger for you and for them. Until you can prove to me that you have conquered your fear, I cannot grant you permission to advance." Master Splinter hung his head as she jumped to her feet and growled. Though he knew that this decision would anger her, he could see no other option. He could sense her rage, hurt and disappointment, but he knew no words that would ease her conscience. Mona Lisa turned her back to the old rat, her tail twitching madly. Splinter watched her fists clench repeatedly. He sighed, his whiskers bending low at the sight. Then, the next thing he knew, she had turned on him and his ears shot upright with wariness. Seldom had he seen such rage. Fortunately, this anger was not directed at him.

"I will keep practicing Master Splinter. I will get strong. I will conquer my fear. I swear it."

A breeze swept through the dojo as she flung open the door into the main room and the next thing the old rat knew, he was kneeling alone in a dark, empty room.

* * *

Outside, Mona wandered up and down the length of the main room, desperate to vent her newfound frustration. With a low growl she considered returning to her room, but after a few steps down the hall she doubled back. Raphael might hear her moving around and come to see what wrong. And if not Raph than possibly Leo or one of the others. She whirled around intent upon finding some way to cool off, when she recognized the familiar sight of light peeking out from the bottom of the double doors that led to Donatello's lab. Slowly she crept inside and glanced around. It was well past two in the morning. And the genius was sound asleep on the small cot he kept in the corner for nights when he was working late. Mad as she was, the sight of the brainiac curled up on the bed made her melt a little. She grabbed a blanket from the cabinet and lay it gently over him before turning to make her way out. In her haste to leave before she woke him, Mona jostled the computer table gently, her tail brushing lightly over the touchpad of Donatello's laptop. The screen lit up and she immediately turned to it, intent to close it and douse the light, but her hand froze, her fingers shifting to grip the monitor more tightly.

 _Project SX71364_

 _Project Head: Professor Rouge Knight_

Slowly, a trembling green hand reached over to the keypad. It took a couple of tries before her touch was steady enough to scroll down as she desired to, but as soon as she did, she gasped. The picture of a middle-aged woman with long, straight hair and dark eyes leapt off the screen. Mona's eyes closed, though she didn't realize it at first.

 _"Get on with your life! All you've ever done since Clari died is try to take her place! Well, you can't! Stay away from my daughter and stay away from me!" A man shouted. "Get out of my house! I don't ever want you coming near me or my daughter again!"_

 _"I love you, can't you see that?! I want to help you!"_

 _"I don't need your help!" The man's voice yelled, echoing down the hallway. He looked around uncertain, fearing being overheard. He leant down towards her and said more softly, "I don't trust you with Alicia. I've seen the look in your eyes whenever you're near her. You can't stand the sight of her. I care for you, Rosie, but I won't condemn my daughter to a life of cruelty. She needs love. And I know that's something you'll never be able to give to her."_

 _"I love you, Wayne." The woman repeated._

 _The man's face darkened and he took a step towards her. One of his hands rose to her cheek and his thumb caressed it softly. She leaned into the touch and his face darkened._

 _"I like you, Rosie. I always have. But you will never be able to replace Clarissa."_

 _Bitter tears began to run down her cheeks. She writhed to get away but he held her firm._

 _"You will never be able to erase her from my memory and pretending that the daughter we had together doesn't exist will not make her disappear. I don't think you're strong enough to continue loving me knowing that I will never love anyone but her. You might as well accept it now—"_

 _He bent down and kissed her full on the lips. She melted in his arms, her hands starting to shake, tears running down her cheeks. When he pulled, he stared into her eyes. She shivered at their coldness. There was absolutely no feeling in his eyes, at least none directed at her._

 _"I followed my heart when I chose Clarissa all those years ago, Rosie." Her face hardened into a scowl and she slapped him. He grabbed her wrists and she jerked to get free. He frowned down at her. "I never loved you."_

 _Crying out as though she had been brutally stabbed, the female figure finally managed to jerk herself away. She flew out the door into the snow covered brick alleyway._

 _Peering through the banisters down at the man below, she watched his grief-stricken face as he sighed and muttered to himself…_

 _"It had to be done."_

Mona Lisa jolted back to reality and opened her eyes, the blurry, slightly contorted images haunting her even as she stared at the computer screen. Once again, her eyes were drawn to the picture before her. She had seen those eyes before. They were the eyes that haunted her nightmares. Those cold eyes that had hurt her for so many years, and yet…

That wasn't the only place she had seen them. It had been somewhere else, somewhere very different, somewhere dark and scary, somewhere when the eyes themselves were different…

That voice in her head…that woman…the eyes…

The shot…the crashing glass…and then…

 _"NO!"_

Mona recoiled about two feet and gasped. Her breath caught in her chest. She whimpered, struggling, then finally managed to cough out. "She-she-she…she was there! She was…"

The eyes of the image on Don's computer screen flashed and grew bigger right before Mona's very eyes. They filled her vision. "No…no…" She whimpered, shaking her head, trying to get them to go away. But she was only being sucked in deeper.

The eyes flashed again, staring down at her. Hands grabbed her wrists, refusing to let her go. She was crying trying to stay with him, trying to stay by his side, but the cold hands…the burning eyes, they were pulling her away. She couldn't escape. She tried to scream. She tried to call out to him. But she couldn't escape. He didn't save her. He didn't move. He was gone. The hands…the eyes…they tore her away from him. They pulled her away. She screamed as hard as she could. The eyes…were there tears in them? The cold hands yanked her away. Still she wouldn't go…couldn't go.

Daddy…Daddy had said that these hands couldn't be trusted…that she couldn't be trusted. She had to get away. One of the hands made a fist and hit her, hard. Then it was dark and when she had finally woken up…she was alone.

Mona's hand flew to her chest as she emerged from the nightmare-like trance. Her breathing was heavy and she was terrified. She dropped to her knees, dazedly glancing at the room around her. Slowly, she realized just what had snapped her out of it. Donatello was awake, standing next to the light switch looking worried.

"Mona? Are you alright? What are you—" He stopped short as he got close enough to see what she had been looking at. "Oh my gosh, Mona, I'm so sorry, I hadn't meant to leave that open! Damn! I'm such an idiot! I am so, so sorry! Are you…are you alright?" He bent down to help her, but she swatted his hands away.

"I don't need your help, Don. I'm fine." She said lowly. Were he paying attention, the smart turtle might have noticed the edge of warning in her voice. But he was too worried to be listening that closely.

"You have an elevated heart rate and have undoubtedly had quite a shock. You should—"

"Don't tell me what to do, Donatello! I don't need to hear it from you or Sensei, or anybody else!" She snapped, pushing herself resolutely up onto her feet and storming out of the lab without so much as a parting glance.

Donatello's hands fell to his side and he watched her go, a worried frown settling on his face. He made up his mind then and there. Something had to be done.

"Raph, can I talk to you?"

"Sure Don, what's up?"

"Mona Lisa got into my files last night." He stated solemnly. He noted the way that Raphael's body stiffened.

"The ones from the research base?"

"No, the ones about classic English poetry, of course the ones from the research base!" Don replied heatedly, trying to be as patient as he could, given the circumstances. Unfortunately, he couldn't help but let a little bit of his exasperation show through.

"What happened? Is she alright? Did she have another flashback?"

Don's hands flew up as he tried to motion his brother to slow down, but the hothead's alarm meant that Raph had very little patience at the moment. The brainiac reached out and caught his brother's by the shoulder. "Calm down Raph. She looked a little bit shocked by she insisted that she was fine. I don't think that her fear is the issue here. She isn't reacting the way that she did last time. It looked as though she had seen the picture on Knight's file. I'm guessing based on the position that I found her in that the image awakened old memories, but she wasn't in shock. When I asked her if she was alright, she didn't react at all like last time."

"What do you mean? What did she do?"

"She smacked my hand away and snapped at me. Whatever you do, Raphael, tread carefully. She's not happy and she doesn't want any help. Not even ours." Don warned, gripping Raph's shoulder tightly. The hothead looked down at the ground for a few moments, worriedly. Then he treaded softly away a very pensive look on his face. Don's eyes followed his immediate older brother, hoping that Raphael would be able to help their newest family member.

* * *

Raphael searched the lair for Mona Lisa until there was only one place left to search. The dojo. He had assumed that it was Leonardo and Michelangelo training, but he had found Mikey in the kitchen creating some sort of carrot-based concoction that Raphael dare not even approach. Which meant that Mona and Leo were training in the dojo. As he approached he heard muffled voices coming from within. He paused by the door.

"I don't understand, Mona. Why come to me? You know that Raph—"

"Raphael won't be able to help me with this, Leo. I had to come to you. Please. Can I trust you?"

"Of course." Leo answered his voice soft and filled with emotion. Raph's lip curled and his famous temper flared. He shoved the door open and stepped inside, noticing the way that the two of them jumped away from each other.

"What the shell is going on in here?"

Mona Lisa bristled and straightened, her fists clenching. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that you trust Leo more than you trust me!"

Leo immediately stepped in with a soft, earnest look on his face, "Raph, you didn't hear all of it, she—"

"Shut up, Fearless and get out! This is between me and Mona!"

"No, it isn't Raphael! You need to approach this rationally! She wanted me to help her with her training!"

Raph's fists clenched and he turned to Mona, his face turning red. "Then why the shell couldn't you come to me?!"

"You wouldn't be able to do what I'm asking." Her eyes darkened and flashed warningly.

"Why the shell not?!" Raphael asked, growling. Leo stepped between him and Mona with a warning look on his face, his forest green hand resting lightly on his katana handle.

"Calm down, Raph. She's alright, I'll look out for her. Please, just let it go." Raphael took a deep breath and turned away. He had his back to them, but they could still hear the anger in his voice.

"I just—don't get it."

Mona Lisa growled. Raphael's insinuation, justifiable or not, hurt her. And she couldn't help but allow some of her bitterness and anger from everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours rise up from within her. "Maybe I just wanted to train with someone who'd present me with a challenge."

Every muscle in Raphael's body rippled with tension. His fists clenched. Red flashed in front of his eyes and his heart ached as though it had been stabbed with a sai. His voice came out sounding low and gravelly. "Fine. Spend all your time with him for all I care." He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Leonardo's hands fell and clenched by his sides. His chest tightened at the sheer amount of hurt he perceived in Raph's voice. He looked over at Mona Lisa. Her face was stoic. There wasn't the slightest hint of regret in her eyes and it made him burn. "Mona…" He spoke softly, trying to hold back his slowly growing anger. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" She asked innocently, turning away from him.

Leo's hand shot out and jerked her around. "You know what, Mona. Just because Raph misheard us doesn't mean that you had to lash out at him like that. You hurt his feelings!"

She slapped his hand away and he stepped back in shock. "What and he didn't hurt mine? If he'd stop acting like a child and throwing tantrums I wouldn't have had to do it."

Slowly, the eldest turtle drew away from her. "This isn't like you, Mona. I know that you love, Raphael. This isn't about what just happened." Leo's hand on her shoulder gripped softly. "Please, tell me what's wrong." He asked, genuinely concerned. He had no desire for Raphael and Mona's relationship to fall apart. Not that a fight this small would do that but…Raph was sensitive and tended to overreact. "Please, Mona Lisa, I care about both you. I don't want to see you hurt. My brother loves you. But you know how he is. He overreacts to things. I don't want something as trivial as this dispute to come between you. If you tell me what's wrong I can help…please." He said, softly, cupping her face with his hands. There were tears in her eyes. As soon as the first tear started to drip down her cheek she threw herself forward into his arms. He held her close and rubbed her back comfortingly, whispering calming nothings into her ear.

* * *

They stayed there for an hour. He held her close as she sobbed, telling him about the file she'd seen in Donnie's lab and what she remembered. Leo knew that he'd have to tell Raphael as soon as possible, but he couldn't leave Mona Lisa alone in such a state. Suddenly, loud voices in the main room got their attention. Mona's tears had long since stopped and they were sitting side by side against the wall of the dojo. They looked at each other and Leo stood, moving towards the dojo doors. Mona trailed after him, hesitantly. He opened the door, one hand on his katana handle.

"What's going on in here?" Leo asked, stepping out into the main room. The Mighty Mutanimals were there, and Raphael was with them, it looked like he had just gotten through talking to Slash. He turned to his older brother with a solemn expression.

"They've been scouring the rooftops for weeks. They spotted a masked character in the vicinity of the research facility, traveling over the rooftops. They followed it back to an apartment building. We've located our 'missing' scientist."

Leo's lips curled back into a snarl. "You're certain?" He asked the Mutanimals.

Slash nodded. "Yes. Of course. We had to be careful, but once we managed to retrieve this from inside." Slash held something out to them. Leo crossed the room and took it. It was a picture. Mona Lisa followed him and leaned gently against his shoulder, an action which did not escape the notice of Raphael or Slash. Her body tensed up and her fingernails practically dug into Leo's shoulder. He hissed and turned to look at her, silencing himself as soon as he saw the look on her face. Fortunately for him, her hand released his shoulder and reached down to take the photograph. It was a photo of a man standing next to Rouge Knight. His arm was wrapped around someone else, but that part of the picture had been cut off.

Don, Mikey and Leo all began to come forward. Leo put a hand on her shoulder. "Mona?"

The leader of the turtles noticed that Raph was hovering about a foot away, with a worried expression on his face. Leo pushed Mona away gently and just as he expected, Raphael shot forward to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"Mona Lisa, are you alright?" Raph asked softly. She looked up at him. Their little spat temporarily forgotten, Mona patted his shoulder and drew away, dropping down onto the couch. Raph settled beside her, leaving more space than he usually did, which made Leo frown.

Mona Lisa pointed to the photo and held it out to Raphael. "That man is my father."

* * *

 **How was it? Review Please!**


	38. Countdown Pt 1

**Basically, this chapter follows its name and counts down. So just know that the number of hours refers to how much time they have left before zero. So close! We are getting so close! I am so excited!**

* * *

 **Ch. 38-Countdown Pt. 1**

 ** _Seventy-two hours_**

By the time they had all gathered and settled down in the main room it was nearly ten o'clock at night. The turtles, Raphael included, where all rather startled by the gravity of Mona Lisa's statement. The hothead leaned over her shoulder and looked down at the picture in her hand, sizing up the human man thoughtfully.

"Why the shell does your father know her?!" He asked, sounding a little bit offended.

Mona Lisa frowned and stared more introspectively at the image. "I'm not sure."

The answering growl made her straighten and glare warmly at the hothead seated beside her. Despite his reluctance to do so, Leonardo felt that he had no choice but to intervene. "Now is not the time for this."

"I can think of no better time." Raph countered, smoothly.

Mona's tail twitched the way it always did when someone had gone too far. Leo grimaced and took a step back feeling like a melting candle trapped between two opposing flames. The lizard mutant's hand slowly lowered the image and she dealt the green-eyed turtle a glare that might have put even Master Splinter to shame. Shockingly enough, Raphael met it with a glare of his own and managed not to falter.

"Just what is your problem, Raphael?" She asked, that hurtful edge returning to her voice once again.

Michelangelo whimpered a little and clung to Donatello's arm. While Don had every desire to comfort his little brother, the current position would not allow him to step in if this little flare of attitudes turned into a row and that made him uncomfortable.

Raph tilted his head and Don couldn't help but notice the rather spiteful gleam in his brother's green eyes. He raised an eye-ridge. Whatever was going on here, they were all missing something. Raphael was never intentionally cruel unless something or someone had hurt him.

"Maybe I just want to make sure that you aren't hiding anything else that might be important information to one or all of us." The red-masked turtle growled lowly. The tension in the air was palpable, so thick you could slice it with a knife. Though Mona Lisa already seemed quite capable of slicing it with her fiery glare.

"Back off, Raphael, it's none of _your_ concern!"

"Then who's concern is it?! _Leo's_?! I'm your boyfriend, I have a right to be concerned!" He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder but she jerked away and hissed at him, her tail swishing between them warningly as though she were prepared to knock him off his feet. Raphael blinked, surprised, though it was obvious he was about to explode.

Leonardo took a deep breath and once again stepped between them, placing a hand on Raphael's chest to hold the hothead back.

"That's enough, both of you." He said, but the words that came out of Mona Lisa's mouth took it yet one step further.

"Maybe I'm not prepared to call you that anymore."

Any ounce of warmth in Raphael's aura evaporated. His body went rigid. He bowed his head and turned his carapace to her. Leo stared in shock, willing her to take back the words she had just uttered, but Mona Lisa wasn't looking at Leonardo, she was looking at Raphael.

"Call me whatever you like." Raph said slowly, some of his anger returning even though his voice was surprisingly calm and level.

Slash desperately hoped that Mona Lisa would say something, anything to rescind her earlier statement. The large, spiky turtle had seen that look of utter betrayal upon Raphael's face once before. He had hoped never to see it again. It was the same expression Raphael had worn the night that Slash tried to kill his brothers. Though Slash knew that this time it was so much more, he knew that deep down, at the most basic of basic levels…Raphael had once again lost a best friend. Only this time, that loss would ache more deeply and sting more fiercely than anything the young turtle might have experienced prior.

Master Splinter hung his head, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. _I had feared this day would come. I only hope that both Mona Lisa and my son are strong enough to overcome it and repair the bonds that have been broken._

Suddenly, Raphael whipped around to face Mona and Leo, who was still standing between them, that the air made an audible swoosh as he moved. The emerald green turtle was at Leo's shoulder, glaring blankly at the lizard mutant. "But I won't be lied to, Mona Lisa. You know something you aren't telling us and as long as it affects the safety of my family and our teammates, I demand you tell it to me right now."

Leo reached out for his brother. "Raph, it's alright, she already told me—" Again, Raph looked straight past his older brother at the lizard beyond, this time with a gleam of hurt in his eyes.

"—No, Leo. It's alright. As long as he demands to know." She said, flicking her tail at the word 'demands'. "My father knew her. I'm not exactly sure how. All I can remember is that they fought. I think that she was trying to…" Mona paused for a moment and looked away. "She was in love with him. She was trying to replace my mother. She wasn't fond of me, I think because I wasn't her daughter. My dad told her off. He broke her heart. Then…something happened. I was mutated and my dad was…" She let the sentence taper off, shaking her head a little to ward off the blurry memories and images that were surfacing. "…she took me. And after that…"

A few moments of silence settled over them. Slash was getting increasingly antsy as he could see that Raphael was straining, trying hard not to break composure. Finally, the hothead blurted out:

"Alright. Looks like the woman's connection to Mona's past is no longer needed. So we're free to do this your way, Leo. What's the plan chief?"

"Just because I think know what her connection to me is doesn't mean you can just kill her. There are other things I need to know and other questions that need to be asked!"

"Of course. Because the mad-scientist chick will definitely give ya honest answers!" Raph shot back.

The loud bang of a stick on the concrete made everyone jump. "That's enough, Raphael!"

Raphael whirled around and one of his sais flew across the room to land point-first in his punching bag. "It's not enough, Sensei! We need to make a plan now, before it gets any later! The sooner we act the higher our chances of actually taking this creep down! Once and for all. We have no idea whether or not she'll notice that they took something from her apartment or that she was being followed tonight! She may not be a ninja, but last time we underestimated her. This time we have to be ready."

Mikey shrunk back even further behind Donatello and the brainy turtle rubbed his baby brother's shell gently, hoping that this would all be over soon. While Raphael questioning Sensei's orders or arguing with Sensei's words of wisdom was normal, Raphael had never, ever, ever yelled at their father like that. Never. Leonardo, though Donnie couldn't be sure, he never was with the eldest, looked just about as horrified as they were.

Splinter stroked his beard. Disgraceful as Raphael's behavior at the moment was, the fact that the most emotional of his sons was already emotionally burdened made the old rat take the words more seriously than he might have under different circumstances. He hummed. He looked over at his eldest. "Leonardo, Raphael brings up a valid point. What do you propose?"

For a few moments, the leader was shell-shocked. He stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Well, I…" He mulled over Raph's words in his head. He stared his father resolutely in the eyes. "I think that Raphael is right, Sensei. We need to make a plan."

"We want in." Slash stated loudly, seeing that as his cue to join the discussion.

Leo nodded appreciatively. "Good. We'll need your help."

"You certainly will. I found this on the roof of the apartment building." Rockwell said, stepping forward and placing it on the ground at their feet.

"A blade?" Donnie asked, leaning forward.

Splinter's snout crinkled. "Bearing the mark of the Foot." He growled.

Before Leo could get angry at Slash for not revealing this information earlier, the giant turtle held up his hands. "But they might not be connected. There's been a lot of Foot activity in that area lately. It might just be a coincidence."

"There is no such thing as coincidence." Splinter grumbled lowly. "Now that she has joined forces with Shredder your adversary will be even more powerful. We shall need to call upon all the allies we can. Casey and April, included. I shall accompany as well."

"But Sensei—"

"No, Leonardo. If Shredder does come, he will target you and your brothers when you are at your most vulnerable. I must go with you to engage him in battle so that he cannot do so."

"Perhaps Donatello and I can rig an EMP that would shut down all the Footbots within a certain radius. It might not help much, but it will give us an edge."

Leo's eyes flashed. He raised an eye-ridge at his smartest brother. "Donnie?"

Don blinked. "What?"

"Think you can do it?"

"Sure I can. And with Rockwell's help…"

"How long?"

Donatello shrugged, uncertain. He glanced over at Rockwell. The monkey returned the gesture. Don thought about it for a little while. "Couple of days."

The leader glanced at the youngest and the hothead in turn. "What about you two? How long do you need to prep?"

Mikey perked up a little and slammed his fist into his palm. "Anytime, bro! Michelangelo is ready! Booyakasha!"

"Raph?" Leo asked, turning to find that Raphael had moved almost halfway across the room to stand by Slash's side. He frowned a little as he saw that Slash had managed to put a hand on Raph's shoulder without the hothead shaking it off.

Raphael's face was mixture of emotions. The most prominent of them being frustration. With a deep breath, Raph met Leo's eyes. "I need a couple of days training to figure out where I stand in this whole thing. Besides, I wanna make sure I'm in tip-top shape to avoid a repeat what happened last time."

The hothead's words had all three of his brothers, and Slash, eyeing him worriedly. He brushed off their concern and silenced their whispers with a glare.

Leo nodded his assent. "Alright. Then we'll rendezvous at ten o'clock three nights from now.

"So roughly seventy-one hours and twenty-two minutes from now." Don said softly. Leo nodded again then turned to Slash.

"Slash, you and I can plan a couple of meetings before that so that we can make the necessary adjustments to the plan to accommodate you and your team."

"Of course." The large mutant turtle acknowledged with a nod. Taking that as a dismissal, he turned to the other Mutanimals and signaled them that it was time to go. They began to leave, but Leo's hand caught his shoulder.

"And don't go up top at all until then if you can help it. I don't want anybody going topside without the rest of us there to back them up, understood?"

Slash nodded and raised his hand in a farewell as he disappeared into the dark sewer tunnels.

Leo turned to his immediate younger sibling with stern fire in his eyes. "That includes you, Raphael."

"Relax, Fearless. I'm not going anywhere. Now I have training to do. So if you'll excuse me. I'm going for a walk in the sewers. I need a little space to get rid of the feeling of you breathing down my neck."

Master Splinter shook his head as he watched Raphael disappear into the sewers. His claws scraped across the concrete as he padded softly back to his room behind the dojo to meditate.

Leonardo watched his younger sibling go with narrowed eyes, but he knew that he better not pursue Raphael. Pursuing the hothead would only lead to further argument. If Raph needed some time…so be it.

"Leonardo."

He almost didn't want to acknowledge her call of his name. But he knew that the fault wasn't hers alone. Raphael had been acting emotionally and rather harshly. If the only way to get him to back off a little was renouncing their relationship, perhaps it was for the best, for now, of course. As soon as Raph took some time to see that it was really both of their faults everything would settle back to the way it used to be…

He hoped.

"Yes, Mona?"

"I'm ready to start now."

The leader's dark blue eyes rose to meet her earthy brown ones. "Mona, I need to start planning the—"

"And if I'm going to go with you, I have to be ready."

Mikey and Donnie eyed them curiously, tense and slightly nervous. "Um, bro, you're not actually going to bring Mona with us, are you? No offense, sis, but that's exactly what creepy scientist lady wants!"

Don hummed in agreement and added. "Yes, and Mona still has trouble with blades. Bringing her into battle could lead to a panic attack and—"

"That's exactly what Leonardo is going to help me with." She murmured softly refusing to meet their gaze. "I _will_ be ready."

"We'll see." Leo said softly, though his voice rang through the silent room like a clap of thunder. Mona clinched her jaw tightly.

"I will be." She repeated, resolutely.

* * *

 ** _Seventy hours_**

It wasn't until it was almost midnight that Raphael returned to the lair. He took a deep breath and walked in, keeping his face stoic, expecting to find at least one of his brothers waiting up for him. Alas, it appeared that none of them were. Though he'd never dare to admit it, he wished someone was. Then at least he wouldn't feel like the last living thing on the face of the earth. He sighed and allowed his shoulders to droop. He glanced around. The light in Donnie's lab was off, so it looked like even the resident brainiac had decided to get some rest. But…there was light shining from beneath the door of the dojo. Leo. His scowl softened and he dared to hope a little. Maybe Leo would—no, who was he kidding? Leo would just lecture him. He turned away, but paused and looked back. Shell…right now, even a lecture would be better than nothing. He moved over to the door and slid it open to peek inside.

His brother stood in the middle of the tatami mats, holding his katana at the ready. Just one? Raph wondered briefly. What happened to—? That question was cut short as another figure leapt into view, bearing the other katana blade. Mona Lisa? But…the blades…

He watched as Mona chewed on her lip nervously and raised an eye-ridge. She's learning to face her fears. If she keeps going this fast, she's going to get herself hurt. Oh, what the shell do I care? He thought, huffing softly. The longer he watched, however, the more the severe downward curve of his mouth softened. He felt lost. She'd always been so close before. She'd always been right there, but now…she seemed so far out of reach. His eyes spotted a few new cuts that must have been earned during these intensive new exercises.

 _Why Leo?_ He wondered briefly. _Why did she feel she needed to go to Leo for this? And why now?_ _If I wasn't good enough for her wouldn't she have just come right out and said so? Maybe she just didn't realize it at first. Shell, why do I always have to screw everything up?! Why do I always loose control when it matters most? Damn it I probably screwed up any chance I had of winning her back, too_!

He sighed and leaned a little too heavily on the dojo door, causing it to slide open rapidly. He almost lost his balance, but managed to catch himself. Two faces looked up at him, blankly.

"Just came to let you know it's past midnight. Might wanna get some rest for tomorrow. And…uh…" His eyes fell on Mona's arms once again. His voice dropped to a whisper. "You should clean and bandage those. 'Sewer isn't exactly the cleanest place to sporting injuries. Always gotta watch out for the little, innocent looking ones. Sometimes they're the ones that get most easily infected." He muttered almost incoherently. The longer he stood there, the lonelier he became. He felt like they were standing miles away and he was shouting into the sand-filled wind across a stormy desert. After he finished, the silence was deafening. He shifted uncomfortably. "I-I-I'll just—g-Goodnight." Raph turned and left as fast as his feet could carry him.

Leo turned to Mona Lisa. "Mona…I'm done for the night. Make sure you take care of those scratches before you go to bed."

She nodded and watched as he took off after his brother. Frustrating as Raphael had been lately…she hoped that the emerald green turtle was all right.

* * *

 ** _Sixty-two hours_**

Mona Lisa was about to walk into the kitchen when she heard Mikey and Donnie whispering. She paused just outside the doorway and listened. "Did Leo tell you anything about how Raph was?"

"Just that the hothead wouldn't even let him in to talk last night."

"Think he'll come out of his room at all today?"

"If we're lucky, no."

Mikey paused and Mona could tell from the air that the youngest turtle was confused. "Why?"

"Do you like seeing Raph when he's upset?"

There was another pause, but this time it was a little bit more understanding. "I hate it when he tries to pretend like nothing's wrong, but he's obviously…"

"I know."

"Think he and Mona will ever, you know, patch things up?" Mikey's voice sounded small and almost scared.

"I don't know, Mikey. I really don't. They both seemed real upset."

"Think Raph's heartbroken?" Mikey asked even more quietly, sounding even more worried than before.

"I think that he's hurt and a little bit saddened by some of the things Mona said, but I don't think he's heartbroken because Mona never really said that she didn't care for him."

Mikey seemed to brighten a little at the reminder. "Maybe he has a chance then, huh, Don?"

"Maybe, Mikey. Maybe." Don answered with a hopeful little smile of his own.

Mona leaned her back against the wall leading into the kitchen, her hand pressed against her heart. She knew that what she'd said had hurt Raph. But if what Donnie and Mikey said was true than maybe…after everything had settled down…maybe. Despite all the anger, frustration and inner turmoil she was facing at the moment, Mona Lisa paused and smiled. Yes…perhaps in the more distant future…yes…she'd like that.

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it?**


	39. Countdown Pt 2

**Only reason I cut this chapter short was because it was getting really long. Next chapter will be the big face off and I'm going to need to have at least one or two more chapters after that so, hang tight everyone!**

* * *

 **Ch. 39-Countdown Pt. 2**

 ** _Sixty-one hours_**

"My sons, Mona Lisa has made great strides in her training of late. But it will be her progress over these next few days that shall determine whether or not she will accompany us on the mission at hand." Master Splinter stated gravely, pausing as he paced up and down in front of his kneeling sons. He glanced pointedly at Raphael and was sorry to see that the red-masked turtle displayed no emotion whatsoever regarding the announcement that had just been made. With a small sigh he turned his back to them. "Raphael."

His second son straightened and regarded his father with flat, soulless eyes.

"I am giving you all permission to train as you see fit for the remaining time until the mission. Do not lapse, my sons, for in the end the choice of who goes and who stays will not be mine to make, but Leonardo's and we will do as he sees fit."

That caught Raphael's attention and the bright green eyes rose up to his father's face, that familiar fiery passion burning in the depths of the colorful irises. One of the old rat's hands landed unexpectedly upon his shoulder, making him jump. "Are you well enough to face this, Raphael?"

The gazes of Raphael's three brother's all softened as they turned towards their brother. Donatello was carefully sizing the hothead up, taking in all of the areas where his injuries had healed. Leo briefly wondered about Raph's slight loss in muscle mass and whether or not it would have a detrimental effect on Raphael's fighting abilities. Raph was as great a threat as ever, but it was always impossible to be sure with him. Mikey was a little bit more worried about Raph's current state of mind. After everything that had happened last time, they were all deeply scarred. The thought of losing Raph and the sheer fact that they had almost lost him last time would mean that they were all being super protective of him now. Of course, their worry only made Raphael that much more determined to shove them away.

Sensei's question infuriated Raphael. Worrying was something that all fathers did when it came to their children, but Raph wasn't mad because Sensei was worried about him. Sensei was perhaps one of the very few people who understood Raphael almost as well as Slash did and Raphael was quite aware of that fact. So it wasn't the fact that Sensei had asked the question that bothered him. It was that Splinter had asked the question when the others were present because the old rat knew that Raphael hated being made into a spectacle and he hated when all of his brothers looked at him like that. So he reacted in the only way that he knew would force all four of them off his back. He growled, loudly.

He fought the urge to grin at the way that his brothers lurched backwards. Splinter grimaced disapprovingly at him. But he wasn't looking for his father's approval. Not now.

"It doesn't matter whether I am or not. I'm going. Nothing short of a shot to the head is going to stop me." He snarled, aggressively, jumping to his feet and looming over each of his siblings in turn, just daring them to try and argue with him.

Leonardo stood and took a step towards him. Raph took a step back, snarling angrily. His muscles froze stiff as he suddenly found himself enclosed within his older brother's arms.

"I made you a promise Raphael. I swore to you on my honor that I would be with you. I know that it may not have sounded like a pledge to you, but in my heart it always has been. But I need you to have faith in me, Raph. You can't be stubborn and bull-headed about this." A forest green hand pushed the hothead back a step while the other raised the hothead's face. "I need you calm and at my side if we both want to get out of this alive. I almost lost you once, Raphael. Rest assured that I will do anything to keep that from happening again."

* * *

 ** _Fifty-eight hours_**

Donnie and Rockwell had were working on the EMP in the brainiac's lab. Leonardo and Slash were in the main room with Leatherhead, constructing a plan. Michelangelo was in the kitchen making lunch, or at least, some facsimile thereof. Raphael, lacking anything better to do, headed off to the dojo, though he soon found out that it was already occupied. He watched as Mona Lisa practiced her katas. Entering loudly, so that she knew exactly who had just joined her, Raphael remained stoic as her eyes turned to him.

"If you're gonna come with us, you'll be a whole lot safer if you have a weapon."

She just stared at him, her tail flicking slightly.

"Don't suppose you thought about that at all yet, huh?"

"Master Splinter told me to choose one."

"And?"

Her tail flicked again. She turned her back to him. "I am not well-versed in my options." She said slowly, her big brown eyes gleaming softly.

Removing one of his sais from his belt he crossed the room to stand directly in front of her. He handed her the blade and she took it awkwardly. "You don't really need to know what they are to know whether or not they feel right. Obviously, you are not comfortable with the sais. Master Splinter says that a weapon is an extension of oneself."

Mona eyed the blade in her hand a little more introspectively. "And how does he define the sais?"

"The sais are a weapon mostly of defense. Their prongs are designed to catch and break the hilts of mighty blades. They require intensive practice and dexterity." He summed up, reaching out to retrieve the blade. When Mona pulled it slightly out of his grasp he looked up at her.

"Sounds a lot like you." She said, smiling softly. Then a mischievous glint lit her eyes, "Though I should have thought you were more of the offense type."

"Just cause they're usually used more for defense doesn't mean they can't be used for offence." He answered flatly, without returning the smile. As he reached out and took the sai, she lay her hand over his.

"I could help you."

Mona's eyes narrowed warily. "I didn't ask for your help."

"Doesn't mean that I'm not going to offer it."

"If you don't want it just say so." He retorted.

She sighed. "I—suppose I could use it."

Raph tucked his sai safely back in his belt and they headed towards the weapons wall. Without looking at her, he murmured, "You know, you looked pretty comfortable with the katana last night. Damn good at it too for a first time. Are you interested in a blade?"

There was a long pause. Finally she spoke. "I—I'm not sure. I enjoyed practicing with the katana. It wasn't easy at first but I remembered that Master Splinter once said that fearing a weapon is nonsensical. By itself it is harmless. It is truly the hands of the one who wields it which determine its deadly capacity."

"Sounds like Master Splinter to me." He remarked dryly. Mona laughed. His brain stalled for a moment, swirling around the current situation. Here he was, alone with Mona Lisa, joking and smiling, just like they had always done, yet…something just…didn't feel right. It felt almost like it wasn't real somehow.

"I liked the katana, but you said that my weapon should feel like an extension of myself…"

"Ideally, yeah." He paused for a moment as he saw that she was thinking. Probably overthinking the whole thing. So he snorted, snapping her out of her reverie. "Well if you liked the katanas so much, lets start with the blades."

They tried several, starting with the shorter ones and progressing forward. As he watched her working with them, Raphael's eyes caught onto to something interesting.

"You favor your right hand?"

She sheathed the blade she was working with and looked curiously up at him.

"Do you write with your right hand or your left?" He asked, a serious frown on his face.

"Right. Why?"

"Hmm." Was the only response she received. He took a few steps closer.

"Can you try one of the blades you tried earlier again?"

"Um, sure." She put back the one she had and took one of their earlier mistrials off the rack.

Raph watched her hands intensely as she did so and when the blade fell to the ground and her curses reached his ears his brow crinkled with concern. She hissed as she cradled her finger, which bore a thin, fresh cut. She sighed, exasperatedly.

"Maybe we should just give up and try something that isn't a blade."

"No." Raph stated, shaking his head. He grabbed her hand gently and led her away. "We're going to wash this up and get it bandaged, then we'll come back. I think I know exactly what the problem is."

To Mona's annoyance he refused to tell her right away. It wasn't until they were back in the dojo again that Raphael began to explain. "You're searching for extra room on the handle. That's why you keep cutting your fingers." When the hothead couldn't find what he was looking for on the rack he trudged over to a deep weapon's cabinet off to the side and flung the doors open. "So, if you really want a blade—" he grunted as he began sifting through the heavy iron weapons inside. "—I think I should be able to find—rrgh—exactly what you—grr—need."

Raphael's bounced back from the cabinet and almost collided with Mona Lisa full force. "Whoa! Sorry." He looked around with a frown on his face then his gaze hit the door to Master Splinter's room. "Wait here." He knocked softly and at the sound of the rat master's deep voice, ducked inside, leaving Mona alone in the dojo.

Master Splinter eyed his son contemplatively. "Is there something you wish to talk about, Raphael?"

"No, um, I mean…I'm looking for something. I checked the rack and the cabinet, but it wasn't in there."

"Ah, a weapon. And just what do you need this weapon for?"

"Mona Lisa."

The rat's fingers stroked his beard thoughtfully. "And what weapon have you determined she should have that is not readily available in the dojo?"

"A nagamaki, Sensei."

White eyebrows rose to the top of Splinter's forehead. "And upon what have you based that judgment, my son?"

"Observation. She favors her right hand and while she grasps the concept of the katana, she wields it in a manner that would be more suited for a blade with a longer handle."

"Hmm. Interesting observations, Raphael." Splinter turned away and retrieved the blade in question from a small rack of weapons on the far wall of his room. Raphael was prepared to take it from the old rat, but Sensei passed him and went out into the dojo. Raph followed not far behind. As soon as they emerged they saw Mona Lisa coming to stand in front of them. She kneeled respectfully in front of Master Splinter.

"Try this one, my student."

Mona nodded respectfully and took the blade from Sensei's hands. She unsheathed it and slowly gauged its weight before tentatively holding it in a ready stance. She made a couple of large, sweeping strokes, then tried a couple of slices. So far, so good. Slowly, she began to move around a little bit more, slicing and striking at the air. Splinter's face was unreadable, but Raphael had the distinct impression that the old rat was pleased.

"Raphael, if you would please engage her with your sais."

Shooting a hesitant glance at his Sensei, Raphael obeyed, going slowly at first to make sure that the lizard mutant could see him coming and counter as was required. Raph heard his father hum thoughtfully. Gradually, Raph allowed himself to up speed and power of his moves, coming close, but never quite succeeding in making a solid hit. Mona Lisa was learning the flow of her new weapon rapidly. She moved easily with it and it with her. The clanging of their blades drew the attention of the rest of the lair's occupants and soon, Leo, Donnie, Mikey, Rockwell, Slash and Leatherhead were all peeking inside. Raphael didn't notice. As the battle grew increasingly intense he allowed himself to let go of his inhibitions, displaying his full strength. The match was over in seconds, the nagamaki thrown from Mona's hands.

He grinned a little. "Not bad for a first try. Definitely need a few more pointers, though."

She stuck her tongue out at him, her hair falling into her face. Mona huffed and blew at the stray strands, but they fell right back down over her eyes again. "Show off."

Raphael smirked and offered her a hand up, which she took. Once she was on her feet she turned to Master Splinter and Raph took advantage of the distraction to ruffle her already mussed hair. Mona turned on him, her tail sweeping his legs out form under him with a wicked smile on her face. "Why you—! I'll get you for that!" She landed on top of him, playfully punching him in the plastron. Every once in a while an emerald green fist would come up and lightly attempt to throw her off, but other than that, Raph was too busy laughing to put up a fight. That is, until they realized that everyone was watching them. Then they abruptly remembered that they were supposed to mad at each other. And yet…somehow Raph just couldn't find it in himself to be.

Everything had become awkward. Raph wasn't sure whether he should laugh, yell, or apologize. In the end, he did them all. With an awkward chuckle he and Mona both jumped to their feet. He could hear in the back of his head, his brothers making kissy noises and jabbing each other in the ribs, so he wheeled around and shouted. "SHUT UP!"

Then he turned back to Mona in embarrassed mortification. "I-I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have—I—"

"No, Raph, it's—"

"I'm gonna go." He said, barging out of the room without looking back. Mona watched with a sad frown.

* * *

 ** _Fifty Hours_**

"Hey." The large, dark figure rumbled as it stepped inside Raphael's room. Raph barely even glanced up from where he was laid out on the bed.

"You guys are still here? I thought you left hours ago."

"You didn't come out for dinner, they were worried."

"Got no reason to be. I had a late lunch." He countered evenly.

Slash sighed and held up his hands. "Fine, whatever you say." He held out a pizza box to Raph. "But this one is yours whenever you actually do feel like eating."

"Thanks." He said softly.

"You're welcome." Slash said, sitting against the wall in Raph's room, taking care not to bump the drum set. "So how are you?"

"Fine."

"You didn't seem fine after you ran out of the dojo this morning." Slash murmured, trying to convey his concern to the younger turtle.

Raphael brushed it off with shrug. "I said I'm fine."

"And what about Mona Lisa?" Slash almost growled the name, which made Raph looked up at him with an eye-ridge raised.

"You sound angry."

"I'm surprised you aren't. Some of the things she said…"

"I said some pretty harsh things, too, Slash. Just lay off, alright?"

The dark, spiky turtle shook his head. "Not until you talk to me."

"Now you're starting to sound like Leo." Raph remarked dryly, rolling his eyes. Slash opened his mouth to say something, but Raph silenced him. "You're right, I was angry, but Mona's a hard person to stay angry at and I…I still care about her. I think we were both just mouthing off a little after having so much pent up frustration from everything that's been going on lately. She's…she's still…"

"You still love her." Slash filled in for him.

Raph nodded. "And I think…I'm not sure but I think that she still…"

"She does." Those words had little stars of hope shining in Raphael's eyes. Slash grinned. "If what we saw in the dojo earlier was any indication, I'd say she does."

"I know we're supposed to be mad at each other but the problem is we just can't keep it up for long, ya know? We slip back into old habits…Maybe that was problem."

Slash canted his head and Raph elaborated.

"We didn't fool around as much after we…got together. I mean we still horsed around and stuff, but not as much as we used to. If…if she ever gives me a second chance, I think…I think I'd like a little bit more of that. I'd kinda forgotten how much fun it can be."

Slash patted his friend's shoulder jovially. "I better get going, team's waiting on me. Rest up for the big day."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Raph said rolling his eyes and crossing his arms with a smirk. Slash's frown made Raph's face sober up a little.

"I mean it, Raphael."

"I will."

Slash grinned wanly and left with a parting nod. Raph waved farewell and rolled onto his side. He sat there for about three minutes before he the uncomfortable silence of his empty room really began to bug him. _Eugh, bugs._ He rubbed his temples. _Okay, probably not the best possible wording._

When he got to the main room he did a double take. Leonardo was alone. Weird. As Raph shuffled further inside, Leo looked up at him, curiously.

"Raph."

The red-masked turtle nodded an acknowledgement and looked around suspiciously.

"What's up?"

"Where is everybody?"

"Donnie went with Rockwell to fetch some parts that might help from the Mighty Mutanimal's lair, they should be back in about an hour or so. Mikey went with them to spend some time with Leatherhead. Sensei and Mona are in the dojo."

Raphael listened to the silence coming from the aforementioned room and raised an eye-ridge. Leo answered easily. "Evening meditation."

"Surprised you aren't in there with them." Raph remarked quietly, jumping over to take a seat beside his brother.

Leo sighed and refused to look at his younger sibling. "I'm far too wound up at the moment for meditation."

Raph leaned into his older brother, purposefully jostling the older turtle. "What's up?"

The blue-masked turtle grinned and playfully bumped Raphael in return, which led to an gentle game of 'who can push their brother down first'. Raph was winning. His customary victory smirk was in place as he prepared to laugh down into Leo's face. But as always, Leo had a trick up his shell. Forest green fingers shot out and poked Raph roughly in the side, which made the hothead struggle not to laugh and allowed Leo the opening he'd been waiting for to shove his younger brother off the couch. Raph glared up at him.

"Cheater."

Leo's smug face bent down to Raph's eye-level. "I wasn't aware that there were rules."

"Grrr!" Raph threw a playful swing at Leo's face that missed.

"Too slow, Raphael!"

"Oh yeah?" Raph grabbed Leo's legs and in one, swift yank his brother was beside him. "Ha! Take that, Fearless!"

Leo laughed and they poked fun at each other for a few more minutes before the fun died down. Raph glanced wonderingly over at his older brother to see a very disconcerting look in the dark blue eyes.

"What are you so worried about?"

At first Leo avoided the question, but finally he confessed. "It's just…we've been planning all afternoon."

"And?"

"And the plan is…rough. The outcome could depend largely upon who shows up when."

"But you made adjustments for different settings, right?"

"Yes, of course." Leo said softly. "But I'm still…"

"We'll be fine, Leo. We'll come out of it. All of us."

"You can't know that, Raph."

"Maybe not, but we have to believe it, big brother. We can't set ourselves up for failure. We go into this battle with our heads held high, big brother, or we won't make it out alive. And we'll need our Fearless Leader to get us through it."

The next thing Raph knew, he was being hugged tightly. "Raph…I'm not sure I can."

Raph patted his sibling's shell comfortingly and whispered into his big brother's ear. "It doesn't matter, Leo." He pulled away and put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Because I _know_ you can."

* * *

"Master Shredder, I do not see why we are trusting this scientist. She desires the destruction of all mutants, it will not be long before she turns on us." Tigerclaw stated softly, only minutes after the 'ally' in question had left.

"Perhaps, but if all is as she claims, the turtles will come to her seeking revenge and when they do, we shall be there to greet them."

"And the woman?"

Shredder held up his hand. "Just see that she never bothers us again."

"Yes, Master Shredder."

* * *

 ** _Forty-eight hours_**

"Hey Donnie?" A voice asked, breaking the silence that had settled between them as Donnie and Mikey made their way back to the sewer. Don and Rockwell were going to return to the lair to continue work on the EMP, but Slash suggested that they get some extra rest and start again first thing in the morning, so they had opted for that instead.

"Yeah, Mikey?"

"You really think we can pull this off? I mean, we have no idea how many Foot are going to be there, or what that mad-scientist lady is going to be carting in the crazy belt of hers. What if she still has that electric stun gun thingy or something even worse?"

"We can do it, Mikey. Just like we stopped the Kraang. We've just got to."

Silence fell between them again…for about thirty seconds.

"Hey Donnie?"

"Yes, Mikey?" He asked again, this time a little more exasperated. He paused when turned and saw the dangerously serious look on Michelangelo's face. "Are you okay, Mikey?"

"Do you think Leo will let me finish what I started?" He asked gravely.

Don's lips hardened into a thin line. There was no need for Michelangelo to elaborate, the brainiac knew exactly what his little brother meant. "I don't know." He answered, honestly. "But I don't think it will be up to Leo." He whispered thinking of the murderous look on Raph's face in the dojo his morning. Then he thought of the concentration on Mona Lisa's own face as she had battled Raph in the dojo earlier that day. _Yes, this time, it won't be up to Leo._

* * *

 ** _Fast Forward: Twelve hours_**

The three eldest of the turtle siblings sat in the living area, watching, but not really watching the television. Every twenty seconds or so, Raphael would change the channel, so it was hard to really get invested in any one program. Don eyed the hothead a little bit cautiously, since he could feel the tension and impatience that was radiating off of his brother in waves. Leo was absently laying by Raph's side, wondering briefly whether or not Raphael would ever settle. The atmosphere was one of anxiousness. They all just wanted to get going. Donnie and Rockwell had finished the EMP yesterday, and with nothing to do, the brainiac felt like he was sleeping on a bed of nails. Leo's mind relentlessly reviewed the plan over and over and over, brining up questions that couldn't possibly be answered until they were on their way and it was stressing him out.

"Mona Lisa!" Mikey's voice rang through the lair, startling all three of them out of their brooding states. They looked up as their little brother rushed through the lair towards the dojo. Before he could reach it, the door flung open and Mona appeared, wearing her new belt that Master Splinter had given her earlier that day. From it hung her nagamaki, tucked neatly away in its sheath.

"What is it, Mikey?" She asked calmly, which was quite impressive since the young turtle in front of her was so excited he could scarcely keep still.

"This is for you!" Mikey cheered happily, holding out a pink piece of fabric. She eyed it curiously and avoided his reaching arms as he tried to tie it around her neck. Mikey paused in his attempts and explained. "It's a scarf! You wear it around your neck! I was going to cut holes in it like for a mask, but I decided it looked nicer like this!"

Again he attempted to put it on her and again she avoided his reach. Raph growled a little at the sight, which made Donnie and Leo raise eye-ridges at him. "Leave her alone Mikey. If she doesn't want it, she doesn't want it."

"I'm just not sure I want to trust Mikey with trying something in a knot around my neck." The other turtles laughed. "I don't want you to tie it and never be able to get it off." She said teasingly.

Mikey pouted, then an idea flew into his head. He tossed the piece of fabric perfectly so that it landed on Raph's head. "Fine, then you do it, Raph!"

Mona's cheeks flushed as they made eye contact.

Raph slowly stood up, shifting his weight nervously. "Only if she's okay with that."

"That would be fine."

He went over to her and carefully tied on the accessory, being careful not to make it too tight. Donnie brought her a mirror and she looked at it and smiled. Raph's face grew warm as she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Raphael."

The sound of his name made him shudder, but he shook it off as best he could. His brothers just smiled, knowingly.

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it?**


	40. Subterfuge

**So, so close! I will be working on the next chapter tonight, but we'll see how far I get! I decided that since I'm not trying to make it forty chapters exactly now I'm just gonna take my time and get it out exactly the way I want it. (Which I'm really glad I'm doing cause it just wouldn't have been right if I hadn't.)**

 **Just so you know, most of this chapter kinda takes place simultaneously with some of the events described last chapter and it starts at about 'fifty hours to go'. To save you the trouble of looking back, remember how at 50 hours left Donnie and Mikey weren't in the lair?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ch. 40-Subterfuge**

"I don't know about this, Leonardo. Going behind the others' backs…it's risky."

Leo's face was stern and unchanging. "I know. But involving them would only increase the risk and raise the chances of failure. If we can find out for certain her connection to the Foot and what their reaction might be it could double our chances of success. That's why you have to do it. Please. I've already given Slash the plan."

"And yet you waited to tell us about it until the last minute? Great job with the procrastination, Leo." Don remarked with annoyance, still very unhappy about this whole thing.

There were little stars in Mikey's eyes as he attached himself to his oldest brother's side like a barnacle. "Leo procrastinating…" He said with youthful amazement and wiped fake tears of joy from his eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day."

Leo growled and little and rolled his eyes, shoving his youngest brother off. "I couldn't tell you any earlier. I didn't want the others to have a chance to find out."

"I won't do this, Leo. Do you have any idea what could happen if it goes wrong?!"

"This coming from the brother who went back into a human research center alone to download files!" Leo retorted angrily. He sighed and rubbed his temples, as a splitting migraine began to set in. "Look, guys, please. You have to do this. If you don't we'll be walking in blind!"

"Enough with that crap, Leo! Why do you really want us to do this?" Don asked, raising his voice slightly.

"For Master Splinter." The oldest whispered. His brothers' posture immediately softened. "He shouldn't be involved in this unless he absolutely has to. If we know or at least have an idea of Shredder's plan we might not need Sensei's help. Having Mona there knowing that scientist wants to kill her is risky enough. Shredder's henchmen will all target Sensei and that mutant-hating woman will too. I don't want to put Splinter in danger unless there is absolutely no other alternative. I'm asking you to do this for Sensei, for our father. Please." He put a hand on each of their shoulders. They looked at him.

Mikey had on his serious face. "With you all the way bro. Besides, I am a great actor." He said with a flourish.

Donnie shook his head at Mikey's antics. "I'll make sure it doesn't blurt out anything he isn't supposed to." Mikey pouted and stuck his tongue out at the brainiac while Leo smiled.

"Thank you. Go to the Mighty Mutanimals' lair. They'll be on lookout in case something goes wrong."

His brothers' faces stiffened a little. Mikey looked frightened. "You're not coming with us?"

Leo shook his head. "I can't. If all three of us are gone, Raph and the others will get suspicious. It's up to you two."

They exchanged sideways glances, then looked back at him and nodded determinately. He returned the nod.

"Then get going." Leo ordered, turning his back to them. When he glanced back over his shoulder, they were gone. His strong posture melted a little. "Be careful."

* * *

Mikey stayed close to his brother as they twisted their way through the dark, narrow alleys. "Donnie, I'm not so sure about this. You know how the bad guys like to chase me. What if she attacks us instead of listening?" The youngest was surprised when a soft, gentle hand landed on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Mikey. We'll be fine. Just go with your instinct and put those acting skills to good use." They ground to a sudden halt and Mikey walked right into Donnie's shell, grabbing his brother's shoulders to keep from falling.

"This is it." Donnie whispered pointing to the building on their right. Mikey gulped trembling nervously.

Donnie's eyes went white with concentration as he eyed a shadowy figure that dropped onto a fire escape a building nearby and gave him a thumb's up. He turned slightly as a figure crouched down in the shadows where it was too dark to see their face.

"Ready?" Leo's voice whispered.

They nodded.

"Alright. Take it away, Mikey." It ordered.

Struck by the pressure of the moment, Mikey nodded and stumbled forward, accidentally bumping into a metal trashcan rather loudly. Donnie's eyes sent his littlest brother calming encouragement and he slowly opened his mouth.

"I don't like this guys. We shouldn't have come. I thought we weren't going to make our move until—"

"Enough Mikey. This is where that scientist lives, we've seen her going in and out of here!" Leo's voice said, floating angrily out of the shadows. The gentle slide of his katanas could be heard, the eerie light of the moon through the pollution-filled clouds reflecting off the surface of the blades.

Donnie squashed all his nervousness and took a step towards the shadows and put a hand on the other's shoulder, trying to offer comfort. "Leo…we miss him too. She took Raph from us and…we're all hurting. But this isn't the way. Sensei said that revenge—"

"I don't care what Sensei said, Donnie! She killed my brother! And I'm going to kill her, too!"

Mikey's face was filled with anger, sadness and regret. "I know, big brother. Believe me, I know. Don't worry, we'll make her pay for what she did to Raph." The orang-masked turtle's voice was so low and cold that it made Donnie shiver. "But Don's right, this isn't the way. We need a plan. Charging in all Raph-style won't help us win." A growl came from the shadows. Mikey threw up his hands. "Just forty-eight hours, bro. Please."

"Fine. We'll make a plan. But we'll be back. Ten o'clock, day-after-tomorrow." He said dangerously. "Let's go." He ordered and Mikey threw down a smoke bomb. When it cleared all three of them had vanished. As they ran through the sewers below towards the previously-arranged meeting spot, Donnie fell back to jog side-by-side with the shadowy figure, who had risen back to his full height.

"Good work, Slash. For a few moments there I could have sworn Leo had snuck up and joined us."

The large turtle grinned down at him and nodded thanks. "Give these back to Leo when you get back to the lair."

Don nodded and tucked the katanas on his back next to his bō. Mikey slowed down and joined them, still radiating nervousness. "You guys think it worked?"

No one answered and the youngest slowly turned back to running. Until Don poked him in the shoulder.

"You weren't bluffing Mikey. That was some acting. If I were her I'd be really scared for my life."

Mikey stiffened a little and looked away. "Maybe that's because that part wasn't acting."

They reached the rendezvous point to find Leatherhead, Pigeon Pete, and Dr. Rockwell already there.

Leatherhead turned to them and grinned. "She was listening in on the whole thing, my friends. It would seem as though our plan has worked."

"Well, Doc?" Slash called turning to the monkey mutant.

"The nanobug is attached to her clothing. I shot it onto her back and maneuvered it under the collar of her lab coat. It's very unlikely to be found there."

"Good work." The giant turtle said immediately. So far, so good.

"Pete, the laptop." Rockwell said holding out his hand. The pigeon gave it to him without delay.

"Hehe, here you go."

"Patching into the nanobug's frequency." Rockwell said, opening the laptop and sitting cross-legged, balancing the laptop on his feet as he floated about four feet off the ground. The others all leaned over him with anticipation as he pulled up an audio window and a tracking window.

"She's still on the building."

"Thank you, Donatello for stating the obvious." The monkey mutant answered distractedly. He could feel Donatello's answering glare and he grinned. "The nanobug isn't equipped with a camera since it would be too easily spotted. But it does have thermal imaging technology that can detect heat signatures of life-forms nearby." He zoomed in on the thermal window. "She's alone, no other beings within range, meaning that she's probably still on the roof." He turned his head. "Pete, you placed Donatello's spy-roaches in the proper positions?"

The pigeon nodded. "Yep, sure did." Pete replied jovially, turning the bag he was carrying towards Donnie so that the brainiac could retrieve his own laptop.

Don opened it and immediately patched into the spy-cams. They all glanced over at the image on the screen. Each had been placed on the edge of a rooftop opposite the apartment building, so some had a better view than others. Rogue Knight was leaning against the side of the building with a cigarette in her hand. She growled, the sound coming through the nanobug feed, and tossed the lipstick-stained cigarette on the ground, crunching it angrily underfoot.

"I'll kill those freaks." She said, starting to pace up and down the building.

Slash's hands clinched into fists and he fought the urge to growl himself. Ten minutes passed. Still, she paced. Donnie, Mikey and the Mutanimals were starting to get antsy.

"What if she doesn't go running to Shredder?" Leatherhead grumbled, voicing what they all had been thinking for the past few minutes.

Donnie grimaced at the suggestion. "Then this whole thing was a waste."

Slash shook his head. "No. Don't give up yet. She hasn't gone inside yet."

"So?" Pete asked.

"So she might be waiting for someone." The leader of the Mutanimals stated evenly.

Rockwell sighed. "Then we might as well get comfortable. Let's head back to our lair."

They were almost there when Rockwell, who had been amusing himself by listening to the bickering of Michelangelo and Pigeon Pete, looked down and saw something that made his eyes bug out of his head. "I've got a second heat signature! She's still on the roof, but she's not alone."

Don, who had closed his laptop, whipped it open again and saw the image from his spy-roach. He gasped. Just as everyone began to crowd around him to see the screen, voices began to sound from Rockwell's computer.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming. I demand to see the one you call your 'master'."

"The Shredder sees no one without good reason. He does not concern himself with trivial matters. You will do your dealings through me as agreed."

"And would information regarding the turtle freaks be considered _trivial_?"

Tigerclaw growled and turned to her with a fist raised. "What do you know?"

"Take me to Shredder. Then we'll talk."

The sewers seemed to close in around them as they waited in tense silence for the next few minutes. Rockwell mumbled. "Headed for Shredder's lair."

"Big surprise." Mikey commented sarcastically.

"Hear that, old friend?" Pigeon Pete asked, reaching into his bag and retrieving something else from one of the front pockets. It was a pigeon…with a camera attached to its head. Donatello raised an eye-ridge and looked at Rockwell. The monkey shrugged.

"They can easily fly to any location quickly without being noticed. Besides, he can communicate with them."

Mikey stepped closer to Donnie and spoke behind his hand. "Dude, Pete and Raph should gather all their pigeon forces and create an army!" Donnie gave him the 'you are the craziest person I've ever met' look, but unfortunately, that form of perception had never been Mikey's strong suit.

"I know, right! It's so awesome I just blew your mind!"

Don rolled his eyes. Pete had gone, presumably to send the pigeon on it's way to Shredder's lair.

Slash straightened and lightly urged them onward. "We're almost to the lair. It'll be a lot easier to monitor from there, let's go. Rockwell, keep monitoring their position." The monkey mutant nodded and they were once again on the move.

When they reached the Mutanimal's Lair they crowded around Rockwell. Pigeon Pete joined them soon after. "Well?" Slash asked.

Rockwell had plugged ear buds into the computer and had one in his ear. At Slash's question, he unplugged them.

"So," Shredder's voice made all of them stiffen, "You are the scientist whom Tigerclaw informed me has a grudge against the turtles."

"I would kill them and every other mutant freak in this city for what they have done to me. Not only have they robbed me of sight in one eye, but they have something that I want."

Tigerclaw growled, silencing her.

Rockwell pulled up the camera feed from the pigeon as soon as he saw that it was on the roof of the old church. Peering down through the glass the camera showed Shredder standing from his throne and raising a hand to stop his second in command. Tigerclaw's eyes traveled from Shredder to Knight and back, angrily.

"Speak." The menacing bladed figure ordered.

Knight did so, keeping her head held high. "They are harboring another freak," Shredder turned toward her in interest and Donnie tensed, his knuckles turning white as his attention remained riveted to the screen. Rouge looked the metal-clad man in the eyes as she went on, "a female lizard. Eleven years ago she destroyed my life and took everything I ever cared about away from me."

"Bitch." They all looked up at Mikey in surprise. His angry stare met their eyes and melted into confusion. "What?"

They all turned back to the screen.

"You said you had news of the turtles." Tigerclaw said brusquely.

She turned to him and scowled before turning back to Shredder. Before she could speak, however he cut her off.

"What of their Sensei?"

Rouge canted her head, confused. "Their Sensei?"

"Their father. A mutant rat named Hamato Yoshi. What news have you of him?"

She thought back to the conversation she had listened to from the roof not an hour earlier. "He does not approve of what they are planning to do."

"How do you know this?" Oroku Saki demanded, turning and bringing his blades up to her throat.

Though initially she flinched slightly, Rouge's eyes remained calm and composed. "I heard them in an alley. Their pain and desire to destroy me blinded them to my presence. Thanks to me they have known the pain of loss and their hearts are thirsty for vengeance."

Shredder's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"They seek to avenge their brother."

Shredder actually stepped back and sized her up thoughtfully. "One of the turtles is dead?" She nodded. "By your hand." She nodded again.

"Their Sensei forbid them from pursuing vengeance, yet it seems as though their leader in blue has deemed it necessary. They return to my apartment ten o'clock day-after-tomorrow."

Shredder turned his back to her once again and thought for a few moments. Then he barked out orders. "Tigerclaw!"

"Yes, Master." He stated kneeling respectfully awaiting his assignment.

"Ready the Footbots."

"Yes, Master Shredder." The one-eyed tiger mutant glared at the human scientist. "I will capture the turtles and bring them to you, sir."

Oroku Saki turned back to her and scowled. "No." He looked Rouge in the eyes and stepped closer baring his blades once again. "Do what you wish to the turtles, but bring their bodies to me. I should like to see the look on Hamato Yoshi's face when he finds that I am in possession of his sons' corpses."

Donatello, Michelangelo and the Mighty Mutanimals stared as Shredder turned and walked back to his throne without another word, signaling the end of the conversation.

Rouge Knight nodded and left, Tigerclaw growling as she did so. He turned to his master, with uncertainty in his eyes.

"Master Shredder, I do not see why we are trusting this scientist. She desires the destruction of all mutants, it will not be long before she turns on us."

* * *

 **Fast Forward—Only a few hours left**

The turtles, the Mighty Mutanimals, Master Splinter, and Mona Lisa were all gathered in the main room, seated around the TV lounge area. Leo was in the center with his arms crossed, Slash standing just to his left so as not to block anybody's view.

"Alright. We're all here to review the plan. As you know we only have a few hours before we set out to do this thing. But before we discuss the plan there are a few things to be addressed." He paused for a moment and looked over at Master Splinter. "The first of which is...Shredder is sending Tigerclaw and a legion of Footbots to the fight."

Raph, Mona and Sensei all sent him looks of surprise. Raph's eye-ridges immediately curved down to form a suspicious scowl. "You sound awfully certain of that."

"Two days ago, Mikey, Donnie, and Slash staged a conversation that would inform Rouge of our plans."

"What?!" Raph exclaimed angrily, his hands balling into fists. "How come I'm not hearing about this until now?"

"Because we couldn't risk involving you, Raphael. As far as she's concern you're dead and I want to keep it that way. It will give us an edge."

"I still deserve to know when my little brothers are going in on a mission! You lied to me Leo! What the shell were you—"

"It was necessary Raphael. We now know exactly what we're dealing with on the Foot's end."

"Oh yeah? Well what if Shredder just decides to send some of his other henchmen at the last second, huh? What are you going to do then? Leo, you can't seriously be keeping Shredder at his word? He's a lying—"

"That is enough, Raphael." Splinter said, placing a hand on Raph's shoulder, placating him.

"I agree with Raphael." A melodious voice rang through the room. They turned to her in surprise. They waited for more to come, but she added nothing else.

Leo stepped forward, getting closer to his most volatile brother, knowing that he was playing with fire. "Raph, please, understand that I just wanted to get an idea of the situation we'd be dealing with."

"Yeah, and they all bought it word for word, that's gotta count for something, right?" Mikey chimed in.

Master Splinter thumped his tail and Leo's face grew slightly fearful. "Next time, Leonardo I expect to be informed of these kinds of actions. You took a large risk and you put Donatello and Michelangelo in danger. Though that risk seems to have paid off, do not celebrate prematurely."

"I understand Sensei and we won't. We're ready. Donnie, Rockwell." He turned to them indicating that they take over.

"Alright. Donatello and I managed to create these EMP generators, of sorts. They are more like grenades." Rockwell used his mind to hold one up so that they could see it. "This button here, is the trigger, which sets off a ten-second timer till detonation. When they detonate, their range is not nearly as wide as we had hoped, so try to toss them into groups of Footbots. And our supply is clearly not endless, so do so sparingly and with care." Rockwell stated, motioning to the three garbage bags of the spherical 'grenades'.

Raph canted his head. "I thought you were going to try and make a big one."

Don cleared his throat and answered. "The large one would have taken far too long to transport and hook up to an electrical source. It would also have shut down every electrical item within a certain radius and lead to mass confusion, which would unfortunately increase our risk of being discovered."

Raph nodded. "Gotcha." He took one of the grenades in his hand and tossed it lightly to get the feel before catching it again. Don glared angrily at him and he smirked before putting it back in the bag closes to him.

Leo stepped forward and took control of the briefing once again. He knelt down on the floor and grasped a tin can that was there, dumping its contents out on the floor. A miscellaneous assortment of sticks, pencils and pens poured out and he sorted them into different positions, taking some tape forming a map-like image of the building, the adjacent street, and the side and back alleys.

"We break into teams."

Raph raised both eye-ridges, though he wasn't the least bit surprised.

"It's important that we deceive them into believing that our plans haven't changed, so that we don't arouse their suspicion and lead to them gathering reinforcements. So, Mikey, Donnie and I will enter her top-floor apartment through the window here. No doubt the Foot will emerge, as will she, and attack us. From there we take the fight to the rooftop, where Slash, Leatherhead and Rockwell join us. Pete," The pigeon bounced eagerly and Leo grinned slightly, "you'll come in from above. Try to get a good aerial view so that you can tell us if anyone else is on their way. That will also put you in a perfect position to drop the EMP grenades on the Footbots. Rockwell and Mona, you'll be on the building to the east, which is tall enough for you to have a good view of the fight before you jump. Keep an eye out for anything unusual, you jump in whenever you feel the time is right. I'll handle Tigerclaw while the rest of you focus on the Footbots."

"I think you forgot about something, Fearless. Or should I say someone." Raph said coldly, his voice low and menacing.

Leo turned to his immediate younger brother and frowned. "I didn't forget, little brother. Rouge still thinks you're dead, they all do. We're counting on the fact that she'll be overwhelmed by the sheer number of mutants present, even if only for a split second. That's your operating window. Think you can do it?"

"So I drop in and catch her off guard?"

"Yes."

Raph crossed his arms over his chest. "And then we bust some heads?"

Leo's smirk was wicked. "And then we bust some heads."

* * *

 **How was it? Review Please!**


	41. Love is a Battlefield

**Was going to write something here, but this chapter is long enough as it is. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ch. 41-Love is a Battlefield**

Leo looked to his right.

Donatello had his bō clutched tightly in his hands. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, expelling any lingering feelings of nervousness or apprehension. He caught his older brother's stare and met it with one of his own. A rash of longing swept over him and he suddenly felt the inexplicable need to say something, anything to break the stygian atmosphere that hung over their heads. His mouth opened then closed again as Leo turned away.

Leo looked to his left. Michelangelo had his nunchaku tucked under his arms, tapping against the kontoh with his fingers, the way he always did when he was nervous. But in his face there wasn't the slightest trace of doubt or uncertainty. Leo nudged him gently with an elbow.

"How you doing, Mikey?"

Mikey straightened and his eyes went white. "Ready as I'll ever be."

The elder sibling frowned. "That's not what I asked."

"Might as well have been." The youngest retorted, sounding oddly like a certain hothead Leo knew. He put a hand on Michelangelo's shoulder and said in a very forthright manner.

"Just stay close to me and Donnie if you're scared, little brother."

Michelangelo growled. Leo's hand recoiled in shock and wariness. The fingers around the monouchi of the nunchaku tightened so much that Leo began to wonder whether they might actually crack. "I'm not scared of the fight."

A quick glance at Donnie told Leo that he wasn't the only one that had noted the diction of the phrase. Standing closer than before, Don gently tried to throw his arms around their little brother, but Mikey stopped him cold. Both the older siblings could feel worry bubbling in their gut, neither of them knowing how to proceed. This wasn't a side of Mikey that they usually interacted with. Whenever Mikey was in one of his little funks, which he did have, occasionally, Raphael was the only one who could reason with him.

Donnie's shoulders fell, but he knew he couldn't stay quiet any longer. He had no idea what was about to happen, but whatever it was, he just had to say—

"I love you, bros."

Fuzzy warmth spread through Leo's body. He smiled.

Both he and Donnie were suddenly yanked down into a furious embrace. Mikey was fiercely squashing them against his plastron. Leo smiled and reciprocated, one hand briefly pausing to rub the top of Mikey's head affectionately.

"I love you, guys. I'm scared of what could happen. After last time, with Raph—Just promise me you'll be okay!" the youngest whined, forlornly.

His heart sinking, Leo knew he couldn't oblige.

Michelangelo understood. But that didn't mean that he had to like it. He didn't like it. Not at all. For what little consolation it provided, he knew that his brothers didn't either. "I won't let her hurt you guys."

Leo's arms tightened around them, the words sparking his determination. "No. She won't."

Donnie's brilliant mind urged him to point out the near impossibility of that, but he shut down that line of thought almost as soon as it began. For now he just melted into the hug and closed his eyes. None of them were particularly interested in pulling away. Mikey's snicker finally made them step back and stare curiously at him. Mikey was smirking.

"Can you imagine how hard we'd have to fight to get Raph to hold a hug that long?"

They mirrored their brother's smirk. Leo crossed his arms over his plastron. "We wouldn't be able to. Three to one or not, he'd find a way out."

"We should try it out sometime and catalogue his responses. The tactics might actually prove useful in close combat." Leo and Mikey chuckled. Don grinned, but was a little confused. "I was serious."

"We know, Don." Leo said, patting the purple-masked turtle's shoulder encouragingly. For a few more moments they smiled, happy just to be together. All at once, the silence and surroundings settled in once again and their heads rose to the manhole cover above. Leo looked at his brothers. They looked at him. He nodded. They turned back to the ladder, Leo stepping forward. Their eyes went white.

* * *

A few minor changes had been made to the plan. Slash and Leo had teamed Rockwell with Mona, yet had also teamed him with Slash and Leatherhead in the first line of combat. Psychic though he might be, even Rockwell couldn't be in two places at once. As a result, they had ended up pairing Mona Lisa with Raphael. Leonardo had even remarked that he was much happier with that arrangement because Mona wouldn't be in quite so much danger.

The two of them traveled through the sewers in silence. Raphael led the way, mechanically navigating the twists and turns while Mona Lisa followed wordlessly behind him. She had no doubt that Raphael knew exactly where they were going and exactly how to get there. He knew every twist, turn and tunnel down here. He knew them twice as well as he knew the streets above, due living within them for so long.

Mona didn't know much about the sewer, but she knew a lot about her companion. As a result, she knew something else: Raphael was upset. He was also going out of his way to conceal it. The stiff, jerky movements of the red-masked turtle showed that his mind was somewhere far away from her side. It was beginning to grate upon her nerves. Finally she stepped forward and snagged him by the shoulder with all the grace of a kunoichi. He glared at her in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Let's keep—"

She circumnavigated the mutant turtle and barred off his passage with her arm, her hand smacking the wall of the pipe with a dull thunk. He growled.

"What's wrong?" she repeated, insistently.

"Nothing." Reiterated her companion, stubbornly. He leaned to one side and then the other, but each time found that there was a lizard mutant blocking his way.

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Why should I tell you?" Raph roared. She smirked. It wasn't until his breath slowed a little that he realized his mistake. Damn. His palm slapped dramatically against his face and he sighed. By not denying the fact he had just conceded that there _was_ something wrong. Damn.

Seeing that this was quickly getting her nowhere, Mona changed tactics. "Think the others are in position?"

He scowled and finally, she allowed him to pass. "Not yet, but they will be soon and we should be, too." Raphael snapped pointedly.

Mona jogged a few paces to catch up with him, frowning thoughtfully. Raph just hadn't been the same since…

It's just…There were moments where he was, but every time he realized, he would withdraw or snap at her. She didn't like it. She just wanted things to be like before. She missed Raphael. Not only his affection but his friendship. Her thoughts halted abruptly as Raph came to a stop. She carefully scrutinized his face. Unfortunately he noticed.

"What are you staring at?"

"You." She responded easily, her voice ringing with honesty. A quirky grin curled her lips as a hint of redness gathered in his cheeks.

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Are you finished?" He asked, gruffly. Her facial expression bent into a frown.

Mona spoke softly. "What's wrong?"

"I told you nothing's wrong! Why do you keep asking me that?!" He said, raising his voice and straightening, imposingly. Her own temper flared and she matched him stance for stance. They were practically nose to nose, arguing loudly, spewing words that truly amounted to very little. It was not so much an argument as a very loud and emphatic conversation. But for Mona and Raph, it was one of their more dramatic confrontations since they'd split apart.

"You're always so stubborn, so determined to do things on your own! Why can't you let me help you?"

" _I'm_ determined to do things on my own?! What about you? You've been pushing me away for weeks!"

"I can handle myself, you're changing the subject!"

"I'm not changing the subject, I'm making a point!"

"Will you stop evading the issue and just tell me what's wrong?!"

"Nothing is wrong! You want to talk about something being wrong then let's talk about you! You've been quiet almost the entire way until now, why now? Maybe _you're_ the one who needs to talk!"

"What's wrong?"

"We're wasting time, let's go!" He said motioning her to go ahead. She didn't budge.

"What's wrong?"

"Will you just move?!" Raph said with extreme annoyance.

"What's wrong?" Mona yelled again. He was close to cracking. So very, very close.

"Don't you realize that if we aren't in position when the others move in—"

"WHAT'S WRONG?!" The lizard mutant had no idea she could be so loud. At first she was uncertain whether the shout had even come from her own mouth. It seemed that the final burst of volume had pushed Raphael over the edge.

"I'M SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR GUARDIAN!"

Mona Lisa's mouth closed, her eyes dulled sadly and she put a hand on his shoulder. "You still are."

Raphael allowed his posture to sag. "No. I can't be. Not anymore."

His whisper was so soft that Mona had almost missed it, but her eyebrows rose and she felt slightly stunned by his words. She stepped closer to him and brought her other hand up to his face. "What do you mean? Of course you are."

"No." He shook his head. "As your guardian I'm supposed to protect you." He averted his eyes. "I can't do that if you won't let me."

She also looked away. This was sensitive ground for her. She tried to make him understand. "I can protect myself now. I don't need you to do it for me."

Suddenly his hand shot out and caught the lime-green wrist that was closest to his face. She started a little, startled by the strength of his grip. Their eyes met. Mona felt as though he was sucking her inside of his very soul.

"I'm not trying to do it for you. I want to do it _with_ you. The same way I protect my brothers. But it's different with you. It's always been different with you. Guardian, protector, those aren't the right words to describe it. With you…I wanted to be your—your champion, someone who will stand by your side and support you, someone who will stick with you no matter what."

Mona's eyes widened. Raph really wasn't—all this time she'd just believed that he was trying to shield her and question her because he doubted her capabilities. Perhaps he had at first but upon looking back she realized that despite his doubt he hadn't ever tried to put a stop to her growth or to her training. In fact he'd been both pleased and unpleased about it. So maybe all those time they'd lashed out at each other it was out of concern. He was worried she'd been driving herself too hard, and every time he tried to get her to slow down, she immediately assumed he was trying to stop her. Miscommunication and misdirection. On both their parts.

She wrapped an arm around his neck and hugged him gently for a few moments. His arms never rose from his sides and his body stiffened. And Mona Lisa realized, only then, how much her rejection had hurt him. She pulled away.

"Raphael, I—"

He inclined his head, indicating a manhole cover further down the tunnel. "There it is."

As Raph stepped past her, Mona's hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder. It couldn't end like this. She couldn't let it end like this.

Raph turned slightly towards her, impassively, keeping his eyes closed. He feels her cold hands gently cup his face. Mona has pressed herself in close to him. Reflexively, his hands settle upon her hips. The position is strange. There is still a small measure of space between them. It feels cold and different, but Mona doesn't allow that to deter her. Mona's face moves forward, closing the short distance between their lips.

But then, as if in slow motion, the turtle mutant turned his head, silently and stoically rejecting the attempted embrace. Mona Lisa immediately stepped back in sad acceptance. He, too, pulled away. Only then did he open his eyes. He stood with his carapace to her.

She reached out, but her hand fell away and she faltered. She shuffled forward a few steps. "Raphael, I have to tell you—"

His head, though turned away from her tilted slightly back in her direction as he interrupted, "Let's go." He crossed to the ladder and began to climb.

Mona hung her head and closed her eyes in acknowledgement. Her hand hurriedly brushed a small drop of liquid from her cheek.

* * *

Three turtles vaulted up onto the fire escape and climbed up to the top floor. True to their training, they scarcely made a sound. Mikey crouched upon the rail of the platform behind his two older brothers as they examined the latch on the window.

The latch could only be opened from the inside. Don used his tools to cut a hole that he could reach through and open it the rest of the way. Leo moved neatly over to Donnie's other side to avoid the window as it opened outwards towards him. He waved subtly and sent them a few curt hand-signals. They nodded in understanding. He drew his swords and went in first, pressing himself against the wall by the door. Mikey and Donnie both joined him. A soft flutter of movement made him throw up a fist, signaling his brothers to stay back.

Leonardo could feel the tension that fell over his brothers. They silenced their breathing. There was no light coming from beneath the door, yet Leonardo knew that there was undoubtedly someone inside. For a few moments they remained still. Finally he lowered his hand and motioned:

'She's in there. I'm going in. Their attack could come from any direction. Be vigilant.'

His feet stepped as lightly as they could against the floorboards. He couldn't afford to let his enemies know of his presence. The door handle felt cool within his grasp. This was a trap. He knew it was. Every single one of his senses was screaming as much. Still, Leonardo knew that it was their turf, their playing field. The only major downfall of informing their enemies of the plan, was that, for a while at least, they were pawns in the opposing game. But only until the tables were turned.

In a swift moment of decision, Leo bent the handle down and pushed the door open as quickly and quietly as he could. It was dark save for one very plain, meager-looking light-bulb and hanging from the center of the ceiling. The light source was suspended directly over a very plain round-topped table with four plain wooden chairs. Seated in one of them, with her back to the room, was a single, black-clad figure. Short, black hair glinted as Leo crept into the shadowy corners of the room. He knew it was a trap, but he had a hard time restraining himself from leaping at her with his katanas. He felt Michelangelo creeping in behind him while Don stayed on the alert in the next room.

Leo knew that as soon as she felt the air from the open window the trap would sprung. Mikey wanted to strike before it was, take her out right there and then. Leonardo had half a mind to do the same, but he reached out and put a hand on his little brother's shoulder as soon as he sensed Mikey was about to move forward. Mikey's head turned towards him and Leo could feel the disappointment in his little brother at being denied the chance.

It was at that instant that the figure at the table twitched. She stood and stepped behind the chair pushing it in neatly. Leo could practically hear the smirk in her voice.

"So, you've come. Good to see you again, Blue."

A growl rose up from Leo's chest. "Can't say the same."

"But then you wouldn't, would you. Remember what I told you last time?"

Leo's eyes narrowed and he crept noiseless through the shadows to make certain that she had no definite idea as to where he was. "I'm sure you'll refresh my memory."

"As you wish." She stated, finally turning around.

The eldest turtle's ears caught the sound of a sharp intake of breath, no doubt Michelangelo's, as they saw for the first time, the nasty scar that had formed on her face. It was horrifyingly dark and angrily red, running from just above the eyebrow halfway down the cheek. The eye itself was eerily light, the irises pale and blotched with patches of white. To Leo's dread, she heard the soft sound of shock Mikey had uttered and turned towards the area where the orange-masked turtle was currently concealed wearing a knowing expression. He was prepared to act to protect Michelangelo at all costs, but she turned away before taking any further action. She was searching for something. She was searching for Leo.

"The last time we met I made an oath. I'm pleased to know that you brought them with you. It's going to make this so much more interesting." She grinned as his growl echoed through the room. "You'll be able to watch, just like I said. Each and every one of them, remember?"

Shell, how he wanted nothing more than to slit her throat! Baiting him, inciting him, exactly as she had last time, she was trying to make him slip, but he wouldn't. Not this time. This time he knew what she was capable of. Her words were by no means idle threats. With a deep breath, he stepped calmly into the light.

"I would die before I let you close enough."

She made a noise that was a mix between a scoff and a hiss. Her head leaned heavily to one side and she watched him like a cat studies it's prey. "I think not." She purred.

"Leo, lookout!"

He turned at the sound of his name just in time to see Mikey intercept a blow from Tigerclaw that might have conceivably cracked his skull. Leo grabbed his little brother by the arm and tugged him away from the ferocious feline.

"Out the way we came, go!" He yelled to his brothers. They fell in step beside him. All three of them made it out unscathed. Donnie turned to Leo, his face filled with confusion.

"Why aren't they following us?"

"Because they know we're not running."

Sure enough they reached the rooftop to find Knight and Tigerclaw waiting for them. Tigerclaw could perceive in them a dark anger that radiated off of them. Even the relentlessly cheerful one was subdued and silent. So, it was true. He pointed his sword at them.

"You are good little cubs. I regret that your brother did not die at my hand for I might have made it swift and painless. Your rat master is hardly worthy of such loyalty and devotion. He sends cubs out to do an adult's work."

Mikey's eyes brightened, he had a fist full of shuriken. "Oh yeah? Well these cubs are packing more than just an insane amount of cuteness!" He tossed them at Tigerclaw and the bounty hunter just smiled and held up his hand. A boatload of Footbots jumped up on the roof between them and leapt into action upon his signal. The gleam of Leo's blades matched the gleam in his eyes as he charged the tiger mutant.

Leo and Tigerclaw were soon deadlocked in a shell-raising, nail-biting fencing match. The bounty hunter's off hand reached down to his belt and drew his ice gun, aiming it directly at Leo's plastron.

"Leo!" Donnie shouted, throwing his older brother and himself clear in a fraction of a second. They immediately sprung back into action, jumping apart to avoid another ice blast. As they did so, both of them were respectively whacking or slashing down Footbots. Michelangelo, was doing the best he could to cover his older brother's backs. A Footbot rising up behind Donatello caught his attention and he turned his carapace to the black-clad figure slowly slinking its way through the commotion.

Knight grinned, pleased that her first victim of the night was the same one responsible for her eye. She rose up from behind him with a katana in her hands. Leo and Don shouted their little brother's name in terror as the blade began its descent, Mikey turned, but it was too late for him to move away. It sliced shallowly into his shoulder, but before it could get any further, Knight was flung away, punched by a giant, green fist.

Mikey hear a familiar roar of fury. He opened his eyes. "Leatherhead!" He said, hugging his friend briefly. Slash and Rockwell landed on either side of them and shielded them from Foot.

"Michelangelo." Leatherhead rumbled fondly. He eyed the orange-masked ninja's bleeding shoulder. "You are injured."

"It's not that bad. I can live with it."

Rockwell broke away from the fight briefly and glanced at it. "Doesn't look terribly deep. Might not even need stitches. But if you start to get dizzy or lightheaded tell someone." Then the doctor returned to the battle. Mikey was about to follow suit when—

"M-more freaks?!" Came a high-pitched whine, layered with indignation.

Though the battle was raging there was a second's pause as everyone present became aware of Knight's shock, horror, and fury. Tigerclaw leapt away from Leonardo to stand by her side and the a small sea of Foot surrounded them. The turtles and their allies, formed an arc, holding their weapons at the ready.

Knight finally regained her composure and was getting angrier by the minute. More of them. There were _more_. "I will destroy you all! Just like I destroyed your brother!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." A very familiar voice called through the cool, crisp night air. Raphael emerged from Slash's shadow and once again her composure briefly fell.

"But I—I shot you, you're dead!" She spat contemptuously.

"Left for dead, maybe. But not quite dead." He replied evenly.

With a cry of fury, Knight reached down to her belt and pointed a gun-shaped weapon at his chest. It was different from the last one, and was by no means a stun gun. It had a wider barrel and a darker, sleeker shape. It bore a strong resemblance to the real thing.

Everyone froze. Leo's muscles tensed. If her finger so much as twitched on that trigger, he was ready to fling himself in front of his brother. They'd already lost Raph to her once. He wasn't going to let it happen again. He sensed that their two younger brothers were thinking exactly the same.

"No." A new voice said firmly.

Donnie's eyes didn't miss the way that Raphael's fingers twitched slightly. Mona Lisa emerged and came to stand by Raph's side.

"You." Rouge growled, hungrily, her eyes lit up with sadistic glee as the red-masked turtle shifted nearer the lizard mutant.

"Leave her alone."

Knight smiled, maniacally. "Why should I?"

Raph's eyes darkened gravely. "Because I won't let you kill her."

Still no one moved. The Footbots were awaiting orders from Tigerclaw. The bounty hunter had been instructed not to interfere. And she had said she had a plan of her own which would ensure their destruction. A few minutes ago he hadn't been so sure, but now, as he looked at her crazed face, he realized just how dangerous she was.

"I don't have to worry about that." Knight remarked matter-of-factly.

Her grin was menacing. She raised the gun at Slash this time. She readied the gun with a click and took careful aim, loving the way that they all tensed. Drawing out their anticipation she gently curled her finger on the trigger. There. Her aim was in the perfect spot. She shoot right about—

At the last second, her aim shifted and her finger pulled the trigger.

"Raphael!" Mona Lisa yelled, spinning in front of him before anyone else could do so. A small, thin dart sank into the back of her left shoulder.

Raph caught her in his arms, staring with wide and fearful eyes at the dart. The other turtles swarmed them with worried faces. Donnie cleanly pulled the dart form her shoulder. In seconds, she'd gone limp in Raphael's arms. He shoved his brothers aside so that he could glare directly at Knight.

"What did you do to her?!" He yelled, anger, panic and frantic concern clear in his voice.

"Originally that serum was meant for one of you three." Knight said tilting her head, indicating the other turtles. She eyed the limp form of the lizard mutant disdainfully. "Pity. This would have been much more interesting had it struck its intended target. Mark my words, you're all going to die tonight. One way," she gestured to Tigerclaw and the Foot, "or the other." She smiled wickedly at Mona Lisa as the lizard began to stir.

Once she was stable on her feet again, Raph put his hands on her shoulders. "Mona, what did she do to you?" he asked insistently.

To his and his brothers' shock, Mona's tail whipped out, knocking them all off their feet. She grabbed Raph by the neck and held her blade to his throat. That was when he saw her eyes. The pupils were unnaturally dilated. The blade against his throat pressed more tightly, drawing a little bit of blood. Raph could hear his brothers jumping to their feet and gasping in shock at the sight.

"I'd kill you all myself, but I'd get far more pleasure out of seeing you desperately fight to the death with one of your own. And once all of you are gone, who knows? But I doubt she'll be able to live with herself after it's done."

Raph looked up into the eyes that felt so strange and alien, yet so familiar. "Mona Lisa, please! Please fight it! Fight it with everything you've got!" There was a flicker of light there, he could just see it, but it wasn't enough. "Mona Lisa, it's me, Raphael! Please don't do this."

A few more drops of blood trickled down his neck.

Rouge Knight laughed. "She's _mine_ now!" She hissed, triumphantly.

The next thing Raph knew, a veil of purple smoke surrounded them and the pressure against his neck vanished abruptly. Someone grabbed him by the hand and dragged him off. He could hear Leo telling them to retreat, the voice loud, clear, and close. They got down into the alleys. Footbots were chasing after them. Leo pulled an EMP out of his belt and threw it back into the throng.

"That will only slow them down. Everyone split up! Rendezvous in the junction, as soon as you can. Make sure none of them follow you!" Everyone nodded and split apart. Raph was still in a slight daze as the whirlwind of events slowly started to sink in. Leo tugged him to the side and into the shadows as more Foot ran past. Seconds later they reached a manhole cover. Leo sent him down first then jumped down himself, closing the lid behind him. The blue-masked turtle tried to take his hand and lead him away, but Raph snapped out of his stupor and recoiled violently.

"Leo, what are we doing?! They've got Mona Lisa! She's still with them! We can't just leave her! We have to—"

"Did you even see what she almost did to you back there?! She's under Rouge's control! We had to run we had no choice!"

Raph bristled and straightened trying to seem bigger than he was. "Oh we had a choice! We could have found some way to reach her! Some way to talk her out of it! Now she's in the hands of that bitch and I can't—"

"We had no choice! _NO_ choice, Raphael! I wasn't about to let her kill you and I wasn't about to stick around, either. If we'd stayed we would have had to fight her, Raph. And if we hadn't been able to reach her or get her out of Rouge's control…we might have had to hurt her."

The fire that raged within the hothead's eyes suddenly petered out. His face was stoic. "I could have done it, Leo. I could see it in her eyes. She was still in there! She was fighting it. She could hear me, I know she could. You've got to let me get close to her again so I can try to—"

"No, Raphael." Leo said, softly, his tone filled with regret. "I'm sorry, little brother, but I can't do that. She nearly killed you and until Donnie can figure out what to do about it, we can't risk going close to Mona again."

For some time they walked in silence until they reached the rendezvous point. There was no one else there.

"They're probably still dealing with Footbots." Leo stated with ill-concerned worry. Raphael didn't respond. Leo eyed his brother's carapace sadly. "I'm sorry, Raphael." He pulled his temperamental sibling into a hug. "I know how much Mona Lisa…meant to you. And…I know how hard it is to leave someone you love behind. But I promise you little brother, if Mona's still in there somewhere, we'll get her back."

Dark emerald green arms slowly rose to reciprocate, patting Leo's shell softly. Raph pulled back a little, his left hand moving slightly down and away. All things considered, Leonardo really should have seen it coming. But he didn't. And Fearless's trust was Raph's advantage.

The hothead's left hand dipped down to his belt and pulled out his sai, conking his brother over the head with the butt of the handle. Leo's body slump and Raph moved him slightly in the shadows where he wouldn't be spotted by unfriendly eyes. Before leaving, Raph paused and glanced back in the direction of the spot where he'd put Leo.

"You have no idea how much she means to me. I won't leave her behind, I can't. And I will get her back…somehow."

He vanished into the shadows of the sewers, without looking back.

* * *

 **Review Please! How was it?**


	42. Act V, Scene III

**Sorry this took so long everyone! There's a lot that goes on in this chapter. Take a few deep breaths before you begin! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ch. 42-ACT V, SCENE 3**

It was a windy night. As the lone turtle hurtled his way across the city, the cool, crisp air burned in his lungs. There was no moon at all.

He had ten minutes, maximum, before his brothers or the Mighty Mutanimals discovered Leo. At that point Raph had no doubt that his older sibling would come racing after him. With their knowledge of the sewer and the rooftops, they'd overtake him easily, so he'd have to work fast and jump in before they had a chance to stop him.

His feet ground to a halt and his eyes went white. They were still there. Good. With a deep breath he catapulted himself over to join them. Raph couldn't see the smirk on Knight's face, but he knew it was there. Tigerclaw turned abruptly and growled at him, but the scientist lingered with her back to him.

"Come back for your lizard friend, then?"

Tigerclaw tried to move forward, but Knight motioned him to stay back. Needless to say he wasn't very pleased about that. Still, he'd let her have her way…for now.

Raphael growled and unsheathed his sais, spinning them a few times for emphasis. "I'm not leaving here without her."

"Then you won't be leaving at all." Knight quipped, raising a hand and snapping her fingers. Mona Lisa emerged from the shadows and moved to stand in front of Raphael, her own blade drawn and glinting ominously.

"Mona…" He whispered, his eyes widening as he took a step back.

"Kill him." Knight ordered in a cold, caustic voice and the lizard mutant sprung into action.

As their blades clashed forcefully, Raphael did his best to repel her attacks without really hurting her. "Mona Lisa please, listen! It's me, it's Raphael! I don't want to hurt you!"

Mona growled and shoved him back with a foot to the plastron. He shook it off and composed himself. He skillfully entangled his sais and her nagamaki in an effort to draw her closer and keep her there. Yet again, his attempts to reach her failed and she pounded him mercilessly with her tail until he withdrew.

Raphael back-flipped out of her reach and his feet slid against the roof as he landed. His chest was heaving and his body ached. The taste of iron coated his tongue and he raised a hand to wipe a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. He steeled himself for what he was about to do.

"I didn't want to hurt you, Mona. But…it looks like I don't have a choice." As she charged him he grabbed her and flung her across the rooftop where she struck the air conditioner. Her impact made a loud clang and he winced slightly. The lizard mutant fell limp and Raphael went over to her. In hindsight, he should have known better.

Her tail swept his feet out from under him and he fell onto his carapace. Mona drew back her blade.

"Raph!" Shouted a chorus of voices. So, his brothers had finally arrived. Damn. He'd hoped to have had Mona under control by then. He easily rolled out of line of the killing blow and kicked her in the stomach. Raph realized that with his current injuries he was in a very vulnerable position. At this point he desperately needed to regain ground. So he set about getting some. Loathe as he was to do it, he had to fight Mona with everything he had in order to driver her back.

Raph's brothers anxiously joined him on the rooftop, eager to offer aid, but they soon found themselves surrounded by Footbots once again. Tigerclaw noticed how much being unable to aide their red-masked sibling was effecting them and he was eager to take advantage of their distraction. Surprisingly enough, they didn't let him. Though they were bothered by Raphael's fight with the lizard mutant, as soon as Tigerclaw engaged them, their full-focus was on the battle at hand.

Dodging blow after blow, and taking more than a few, Raph's posture began to crumple and his strength began to wane. He lost one sai, then the other. He couldn't keep this up much longer and so far everything he'd tried to get Mona to snap out of it wasn't working. He tried baiting her, shouting insults at her, he'd tried calling her back to him, but all of it had failed. There was only one thing left to try. His mind told him it was stupid and that it would never work, but his heart was telling him that it was the only way.

As Mona Lisa slashed towards him, Raphael dodged and grabbed her wrists, forcing them down and away. He stepped in close to her and swooped in, pressing his lips firmly against hers. All at once, he felt the battle around him stalling. Leonardo's swords faltered slightly, his eyes glued to his immediate younger brother though his blades remained locked with Tigerclaw.

Michelangelo and Donatello's brought the Footbots down almost remotely as their attention was fixed upon their hotheaded sibling. Even the Mighty Mutanimals paused for a split-second and looked up in surprise.

Rouge Knight let out a disgusted and disgruntled noise. "Freaks." She murmured under her breath, watching intently.

The air was thick with tension. Raph could hear his heart beating in his ears. He scrunched his eyes closed tighter and leaned further into the kiss, feeling Mona Lisa beginning to do the same. Her body relaxed. Raphael responded remotely and allowed his hands to fall limply by his sides. Mona Lisa began to do the same.

Knight leaned forward, her fists clenched and her knuckles starting to turn white with rage.

The turtles and the Mutanimals relaxed a little.

With a small smile on his lips, Raph pulled back about an inch and looked down at Mona's closed eyelids. They snapped up abruptly.

Raph's jaw fell open in a silent scream. His eyes were wide, the irises and pupils tiny. A cross between a whimper and a groan left his lips as air forced its way out of his lungs in a loud exhale. He looked along her arm down to where her hand was resting on the handle of the blade lodged deep in his side. He thought he heard someone crying out his name, but it was muted, woven into the buzz of the background. Mona Lisa…

He toppled forward, his hands catching on her shoulders. She didn't shove him off. All he could do was stare helplessly up into her eyes. It was her! Mona! She was there! He could see it! In her eyes, he could see her, the real her, the real Mona Lisa. The horror and revulsion at what she'd just done…Raphael could see it. A flicker of despair flashed across the earthy plains of the eyes Raph knew so well. No! She can't! Can't! Won't let her give up. His hand shook as he clutched at her face.

"No…" Dammit, why couldn't he get the words out! He had to do it now! He had to tell her! No time for being weak. His whole body shook. "Fight, Mona. Fight her. Don't let her…" Raphael crumpled to his knees "…win."

"Go on, finish him off." Knight's sickly, sweet voice commanded.

Mona's hand released the blade just as the emerald green turtle's knees buckled. He toppled weakly onto his side, the weapon pointed skyward as it protruded from the bridge of his shell.

The world condensed as though he were seeing through a lens. The panicked cries, the clashing blades, the raging battle, none of that mattered. Everything else was out of focus.

All he could see was Mona Lisa's face.

One of her hands smoothed over his plastron and traveled down to his belt, confusing him. What was she—oh, his knife. All of his brothers carried one, just in case they found themselves unarmed and in need of a quick, accessible weapon. But why would she—

"Finish him." Knight repeated.

His eyes widened. No, she wouldn't. She couldn't. Raph watched Mona's thin, lime green fingers remove the three-inch blade from its sheath. His mouth opened, but the words wouldn't come. Throat dry and head spinning, Raphael strained to sit up, to say something, to reach out, but his seemingly interminable strength failed him. From somewhere far-off he could hear Leonardo screaming his name and begging someone to stop, though whether Leo was begging Mona Lisa or Knight, Raph had no idea. His eyes, bright with pain, looked up to the lizard mutant as she drew near him again, bearing the knife. Darkness was rapidly closing in. Using all that of the energy that remained in him, he forced out a whisper so weak it might have been the wind whistling through the alleys.

"I love you."

Raphael's eyes closed and his head fell limply upon his arm.

Her mouth falling open, Mona Lisa took a step back. Her heart was pounding in her ears. A gust of horror passed through her. Raphael…

"Go on. One more blow to ensure his death."

Mona's hand, still holding the knife, rose up to make the final strike, but her mind rebelled. Tears flooded her face. She grit her teeth. With every moment that she stared at the limp, unconscious body before her, her will strengthened. She felt as though her heart had been ripped from her chest. She had done this. She had hurt him.

But he still loved her. He'd never give up. Never. He hadn't given up on her, even though she'd…

Her hand, clenching the knife tightly in a white-knuckled grip, had halted in mid-air. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. More importantly, she knew Knight was glaring at her. Fighting the mind-control serum with all her strength, she turned and met the dangerous, eyes of her tormentor. "N-N-Never. I-I won't let you hurt them anymore."

"You won't have a choice!" Knight's gun rose once more, again, aimed at the lizard. Mona's body shook fearfully, but she didn't have the strength to move. She was battling the mind-control serum with all that she had. But it wouldn't be enough. Mona Lisa realized. She wouldn't be able to fight off another dose, not now.

Fortunately, however she didn't have to worry about that. Leonardo came down upon the enemy with a battle cry that struck fear into the hearts of all present, including his brothers. The dark, blue eyes that were usually so peaceful and accepting were on fire. His blades sliced deep into Knight's arm just as she poised to fire, and the resulting shot went wild. A snake-like hiss emerged from the scientist's mouth as she was bombarded by the eldest turtle. She drew back warily and brandished a blade. Leo paused in his assault. Knight stared at Mona Lisa with a glare so vicious it might have melted metal. The smirk that followed the glare however was just as upsetting.

Perturbed, Leonardo, too, warily glanced over at Mona Lisa. She was swaying, her eyes darkening slightly. AS the lizard mutant ground her teeth and groaned as though she were strained, comprehension dawned on him. Mona was fighting, but she hadn't won. Not by any means. And she wouldn't be able to keep fighting forever. Already her strength had begun to wane. Raphael had already fallen at her hand, and Leonardo knew that if they didn't retreat, the rest of them might very well suffer the same fate.

As though reading the blue-masked turtle's mind, Knight cackled. "You fool. You won't be able to fight it forever. Eventually you'll give in. And I'll have my way." Her gaze shifted to Leonardo. "You know that, Blue. You know you'll have to fight her."

Leo straightened. His eyes strayed to his wounded brother lying limp on the rooftop. Anger surged up within him. Anger that he couldn't deny. And yet...the longer his gaze lingered, the more he felt as though he was channeling his hotheaded brother. He straightened.

"I would rather die."

Knight seemed pleased by that. She grinned wickedly. "Fine. May you suffer the same fate as your sibling."

"No." A voice said firmly. Knight wheeled about to glare at her. Leo's posture straightened. Respect and love for the lizard mutant swelled within him as he saw the strength in her eyes. "I will not hurt them any further." But there was something else inside of them that made him pause, something dark. He knew it was there, he could see it, but he didn't want to acknowledge it. No, no. It couldn't be the only way. It couldn't be. Mona… She was struggling. Her body shook from the stress of the fight.

"You're too weak to defeat me." Knight sneered, challengingly.

"Perhaps." Mona Lisa admitted. Slowly, the knife clutched in her hand spun around. All of the conscious turtles froze. Mikey's face dropped in horror.

"No!" He cried out, beating down Footbots and trying his hardest to reach them.

Mona's lovely, brown eyes drifted over to the wounded form of the turtle she loved. Her face filled with sadness and her eyes darkened. She looked back up at Rouge Knight with a composure that Leonardo could only describe as magnificent. The position of the knife in her hand made his heart drop, but he couldn't stop her. He could see no other way out. Tears stung the corners of his eyes. Master Splinter's words from months ago echoed in his head: _no matter what you have to sacrifice…or who_. The lizard's grip on the knife-handle tightened. With her head held high she proclaimed:

"If this is what I have to do to protect them from further harm, so be it."

Mikey shouted and sprang forward, but there was nothing he could have done. The youngest turtle froze in horror at the image in front of him.

Mona Lisa's eyes widened as she plunged the blade into herself. A choked gasp left her lips and she stumbled weakly toward the unresponsive body of her lover. She slid the knife from her abdomen, blood quickly coating her fingers.

Tears slid down Leonardo's cheeks. He bit his lip to hold back a sob. Mona tossed the blade to the side. His eyes followed the bloody weapon as it skittered across the rooftop. A muted cry of her name escaped him as he watched her collapse beside the body of his brother.

She lay in a puddle of red. As precious life fluid continued to seeped from her wounds, Mona Lisa's hands reached out to cup Raphael's face. Her eyes sparkled. "I love you, too."

With the help of Rockwell and Pigeon Pete, Donatello finally shoved his way through the sea of Footbots. He had heard Michelangelo's frantic cry, but he wasn't able to see what was going on. Now, as he first laid eyes on the scene, his feet ground to a stop. Mona…blood…Michelangelo sobbing…Raphael limp…Leo— _Raphael!_ His mind kicked into overdrive as soon as he saw the blade sticking out of his sibling's side. He dashed to their side, his immediate attention on Raphael. Even so, he glanced over at Mona and realized that something had to be done and soon. Both of them were unconscious. "Rockwell! ROCKWELL!" He shouted. His hands immediately began work on his hotheaded sibling. Anger, worry, confusion, and shock threatened to overwhelm him, but he shook them aside. Briefly, he squeezed one of Raph's hands. His other hand rose to the hothead's neck and he pressed a finger against the pulse point, sighing in relief as he felt a faint beat.

"Raphael…" Slash's voice floated through the cool, crisp night air. What emotions that one-word exclamation contained, Donatello couldn't quite answer, but he recognized it for what it was, a plea. Don nodded his head in agreement. Please, please, please…stay with us.

"Hang in there, buddy. Donnie's here. I've got you."

The brainiac felt a presence at his side, and he reluctantly tore his eyes away from his brother's wound to see Rockwell drop to his knees at Mona's side. Rockwell lifted Mona Lisa and gently turned her over so that he could apply pressure to the wound. Don examined the blade in Raph's side. He couldn't remove it. Not here. If he did, Raphael would bleed out faster than a stuck pig. He looked up, searching for his eldest brother and finding him relatively quickly. He didn't even have to call out. Leonardo was looking straight at him.

Jaw clenched and eyes slightly red, Leonardo met his younger sibling's gaze and got the message: they had to get Raphael and Mona Lisa out of there. Briefly, Leo glanced at his hotheaded brother's face. _You stubborn, hotheaded, ignoramus! If we lose you…I'll never forgive myself. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let you get away. I should have known. I should have stopped you_. His hands tightened on the handles of his katanas. Leo's gaze fell on Mona Lisa and guilt flooded him. _I wish there was another way, but I admire your noble sacrifice…my sister._

Knight was livid. "So the little bitch would rather die than hurt you freaks? Fine." Her blade rose once again. "I'll do it myself."

Leonardo's lip curled and he growled. "You have no honor." As the turtle drew closer, he and the enemy began to circle one another.

She laughed with dark amusement. "Honor? If that is how you monstrosities combat each other? It is no small wonder that they have had no success in killing you." Tigerclaw threw Leatherhead off of him with a strong punch and turned to growl at the scientist, an odd light flashing in his eyes. At the same time, Leonardo charged Knight and she danced out of his way, keeping on the defensive.

Slash's face darkened. He charged Tigerclaw and brought up his mace, which Tigerclaw blocked. Using their close quarters as an opportunity, the large turtle mutant spoke. "You would fight alongside one who calls you a monstrosity?"

The tiger mutant growled. "I do what I must." Leaning all of his weight into behind his weapon, Tigerclaw repelled the crushing blow of the turtle's mace.

"And when she decides to destroy you as well?"

"It was the Shredder who granted her aid." He answered candidly. Clearly that was intended to be the end of the conversation, but Slash couldn't help pushing just a few steps further.

"And you think that will keep her from turning on you? You put trust in the gratitude of one who is honor-less?" Slash could see that Tigerclaw had heard his words. He smirked, hoping, with all his heart, that the seed of doubt he'd just sown in the mind of their enemy would blossom in their favor.

Meanwhile, Leonardo and Knight repeatedly crossed blades. For the most part, she remained on the defensive and it was beginning to irk him.

"Fight, you coward!" He growled.

She smiled. There was a vicious sparkle in her eye. "Why? I've already won. After all, the lizard is dead, as is your brother. All I have to do now is—" Knight leapt out of the path of his blades at the last possible moment and swung over to the side. Her hand flicked down to her belt and removed something that struck fear into Leonardo's heart. It was a flat, rectangular object, with a small screen and one, large red button in the center. A remote or, perhaps more accurately, a detonator. The screen read: prepared to detonate. She smiled at the sight of the terror in the blue-masked turtle's eyes. "I suppose you didn't realize you were standing in the center of a particle disruption field."

Leo held still and drew back slightly as her finger ghosted across the button's edge. Knight laughed.

"Of course, I didn't use a normal particle disruptor, oh no. This one is magnified just for you. Run all you like, turtle, but it'll take out everything within a seven-mile radius…including underground. One little push and in thirty seconds all of this," Knight gestured to the city, the rooftop, and finally to the others, "will be gone."

"So will you." Leo retorted coldly. Again she laughed and he couldn't help but growl.

"You really think I care about death?"

Leo's swords flashed threateningly. "I think you care about yourself."

She scoffed. "I care for nothing but retribution."

"For your eye?"

"For my death." At the odd look she received, she went on. "For the breaking of my heart. _She_ took him from me! And then he died because of her." At the 'she', her hand gestured to Mona Lisa. Leo stiffened and stared in shock for a few moments.

The battle between Tigerclaw and Slash ground to a sudden halt as she lifted the remote once again.

"Traitor! You will destroy us all!" He shouted angrily and pounced upon her. They struggled and wrestled, her finger so close to pressing the button that would lead to their demise. Leo's heart jumped down his throat. Tigerclaw grabbed her wrist and the remote tumbled to the floor. Michelangelo swept across the floor and grabbed it. Leo seized the opportunity to grab his youngest brother's wrist and jump over to Donnie's side.

"Well, Donnie? Can she do it?"

The brainiac nodded. "Based upon the level of technology we've seen so far, I'd say it's definitely a yes."

"Shell." He cursed.

Mikey dazedly shoved the remote into Don's hands without a word. He was staring beyond the brainiac, at the body of his hotheaded sibling. "Donnie…"

The brainiac was so focused on the remote that he didn't acknowledge Michelangelo's call. He pried it apart and examined the circuitry before patching into it with his t-phone. "I've locked on to the frequency of the signal. We can use it to locate the device."

Leo nodded solemnly. "And then we disable it."

Mikey knelt by Raph's side and took the unconscious turtle's hand. His other hand clutched his nunchaku, protectively. Leo glanced down at his little brother and nodded in understanding.

"Mikey will stay to protect Raph and Mona. Rockwell?" The monkey mutant looked up at Leo's call.

"Do whatever you can."

He nodded, not taking his eyes off his patient or his current task. He reached down into the satchel that was slung over his arm and removed a sterile needle and thread. "I will. I'm afraid that I'll have to act now if we're to have any hope of saving her. "

Donnie looked uncomfortable with that but unfortunately he had no choice. He patted the monkey mutant's shoulder. "Please, just do your best."

Rockwell nodded. "I will. I might require Michelangelo's assistance."

The older brothers looked at the youngest inquiringly. Michelangelo paled, but nodded his consent and shifted nearer to the monkey genius. "Just tell me what I have to do."

At long last Leatherhead, Pete and Slash finished off the last of the Footbots. They ran up to Leo and Donnie. The blue-masked leader ordered rapidly, "Keep Knight and Tigerclaw busy! Donnie and I are going to disable the bomb!"

"Well, technically, it's not really a bomb, it's—woah!" Leo yanked his brainiac brother away without allowing Don to finish the technical explanation. No one noticed the flat rectangular object that fell off the purple-masked turtle's belt.

* * *

Leo and Donnie made their way down to street level. Don let out a sound of confusion. "That's strange. The reading looks like it's coming from…underneath us." Their heads shot up and they made eye contact. "The sewers!" They shouted simultaneously, sprinting over to the nearest manhole cover and ripping it open, jumping down without bothering to replace it.

They sprinted through the tunnels following the directions of Don's shell cell. It didn't take them long to find it. It was situated almost directly under the building above. Don eyed the circuitry with uncertainty. It was unlike anything he'd ever worked with before.

"So Donnie? How do we disable it?" Leonardo demanded impatiently.

"I don't know! I'm thinking!" He snapped.

* * *

Up above, a three way battle was raging. It was Knight vs. Tigerclaw vs. the Mighty Mutanimals. Albeit, the Mutanimals outnumber their enemies two to one, but since their enemies were no longer working together it felt more like a free-for-all. One minute, Tigerclaw would be punching Knight alongside Slash, and the next he was shooting at the giant mutant turtle with his ice-blaster.

Though he was offering as much aid to Rockwell as he could, Michelangelo was also on the lookout. He wasn't allowing anyone within three feet of their fallen family members. He was determined to keep the battle away from his injured sibling. While dodging an attack from Leatherhead, Rouge Knight drifted a little too close for his liking. Her eyes caught the detonator on the ground and lit up. Mikey followed her gaze, confused, but as soon as he saw what it was he muttered something to Rockwell and sprung away, sliding across the rooftop to reach for the remote. But he wasn't quite fast enough. The toe of her boot came down and pressed the button.

"No!" he shouted, knowing that his brothers were close to the device. He couldn't breath. His heart was struck with horror. _Please, Don. Please think of something, bro!_

* * *

 _Come on, Donnie, think of something!_ Leo thought, his fists clenching nervously.

Donnie was leaning over the device, prodding about at its innards as he mumbled indeterminately, "Perhaps I could…or maybe…but a better option might be…"

Suddenly the machine whirred to life and a timer began counting down. Thirty seconds. Holy shell!

"Uh oh, that's bad, Leo! That's really, really bad!"

"So what do we do?!" Leo demanded, borderline frantic.

"I don't know! This design is incredibly complex. Disabling anything could actually trigger an immediate detonation! I can't just go in without knowing what I'm doing?"

"Then what the shell are we supposed to do, Donnie?!"

"I'm not—" The brainiac froze in thought as an idea presented itself. "Do you still have an EMP on you?"

Leo shook his head.

 _10 seconds…_

Don dug around in his belt frantically.

 _9 seconds…_

Leo's muscles were tense.

 _8 seconds…_

Don's fumbling fingers finally emerged from his belt pocket clutching a small EMP sphere. He took out a small tool and began tinkering with it muttering, "I can adjust it to have a slightly greater impact on a narrower field. I also have to shorten the delay accordingly."

 _7 seconds…_

Sweat dripped down Leo's brow. He could see it on Donnie's too.

 _6 seconds…_

He chewed his lip nervously.

 _5 seconds…_

Don finished his tinkering and their eyes met.

 _4 seconds…_

The brainiac pressed the button and placed the EMP carefully at the center of the device. They took a deep breath.

 _3 seconds…_

 _2 sec_ —BAM! The little EMP exploded. The device went dark and they heard it power down. With a sigh of relief the two brothers embraced each other.

"Good work, Don." Leo choked out, roughly.

The brainiac smiled and patted his older brother's carapace. "Thanks, big brother."

Several stories above, Rouge Knight let a feral cry of loathing escape her lips as the remote screen flashed the message 'signal lost'. That was the final straw. She lost it. And she was determined to take it out on the one thing closest to her at the moment: Michelangelo. "You horrible little freak! I will kill you all! I will see you all wiped off the face of the earth, if it's the last thing I do! You will pay the price!" Mikey jumped to his feet to avoid a killing blow from her blade. The blood from the wound on his shoulder had dried but he was in no mood to test out how well the scab would hold, so he tried to keep his movements at a minimal.

"Michelangelo!" Leathered cried, concerned. The alligator tried to rush to his young friend's aid, but in doing so, left himself open to Tigerclaw. The tiger mutant struck without a moment's hesitation, his blade making shallow slices in Leatherhead's thick skin. Slash roared in outrage and struck Tigerclaw with his mace, throwing the one-eyed kitty cat toward the edge of the building.

Tigerclaw looked at the Mighty Mutanimals, noting the ferocity in their eyes. He looked at the scientist who, as he had predicted, had betrayed him. He looked at the youngest of the four turtles and at the two injured members of the turtle clan. He looked at the fallen Footbots that littered the rooftop. The battle had been lost. He growled in Knight's direction, his glare filled with disdain.

"Do what you want with the miscreant." Tigerclaw's one eye swept over each of them in turn. They tensed, prepared for another attack. There was none. Tigerclaw straightened. "Until we meet again." He tossed down a pellet and vanished in a cloud of gray smoke.

Knight took advantage of their distraction to strike. She lunged for Michelangelo with her blade in hand. He cried out as it sliced into his right arm and upper thigh. The Mighty Mutanimals called out his name and stormed forward. Leatherhead caught the youngest turtle in his arms and gently lowered him to the ground beside Rockwell.

Slash and Pigeon Pete leapt to their friends' defense. Pete went high and stayed near Rouge Knight's head, while Slash repeatedly attempted to strike her. Though unfortunately she was a little too lithe and could avoid his attempts easily. What they need was one more person. Someone who could leap in and catch her off-gua—

SMACK!

As though answering Slash's thoughts, Leonardo, his aim clear and true, flew up from the right and struck her right in the chest with a fierce kick. Slash smirked as the snapping of a few ribs could be heard through the scuffle. With a startled cry, one of Knight's feet slipped on the building's edge and she found herself tumbling down, the air completely knocked out of her. Leo and Slash raced to the edge and looked down, watching her ultimate demise. The blue masked turtle cringed at the sound of the body as it hit the pavement, but Slash's eyes remained white. The large turtle jumped down into the alley with ease. He bent down and felt for a pulse. His lips closed in what Leonardo could only describe as even eerie satisfaction. Slash looked up at them and said softly, "She's dead."

Leo nodded. Feeling as though a large weight had been lifted from his chest. One less thing to fear. But now... The leader of the turtles turned to the others behind him. That was when he truly saw Mikey's more recent injuries. "Mikey!" His youngest brother waived him off, much to Leatherhead's concern.

"I'll be fine, bro." Mikey's baby-blue eyes drifted over to Raph and Mona, "We gotta get home." He said, sounding small and afraid. Leo put a hand on his uninjured shoulder, reassuringly.

"They'll be okay, Michelangelo. I promise. Just make sure you hang in there for us okay, little bro? You tell us the second you feel tired okay? I don't need another Raph on my conscience right now." Leo remarked playfully, even though he knew that given the opportunity, Michelangelo would lie about being alright to make sure Raph got the care that was needed if he thought it would save Raph's life. He also knew that he would do the same. Leo's body ached and he was pretty sure that within the hour the bump on his head would be swollen, but he couldn't worry about that right now. Right now, he had a job to do.

"We have to get Raphael and Mona Lisa back to the lair."

Rockwell looked dolefully at him. "Moving either of them is extremely riskly. Whoever carried Mona will have to be extremely careful not to jerk her. I was able to patch her up, but the work is fragile and might not hold if faced with too much strain."

Mikey looked at Leatherhead. "Leatherhead, please?" The alligator mutant had not desire to leave his young friend, but he had no choice. Not when Michelangelo was practically begging him.

As though to reassure the alligator Leonardo stepped forward. "Don't worry. I'll support him. If worse comes to worse, Donnie and I will carry him." The remark had its desired outcome and Leatherhead appeared a little more at ease.

Rockwell cleared his throat. "As for Raphael…it is imperative that he not be jerked or shifted. Right now the fact that the blade is still there is the only thing keeping him alive. If it gets pulled out he'll probably bleed to death in a matter of minutes."

"I'll take him." Slash said quietly.

"Be careful." The monkey urged.

"I heard you the first time." Slash grumbled. He delicately lifted the small, stocky form of his oldest friend into his arms and held on as tightly as he could without jostling the blade.

Leo straightened. "Alright everyone. Let's get back to the lair as quickly and as carefully as we can."

Rockwell nodded. "Indeed. We might not have much more time."

Those words struck fear in Leo's heart and he nodded solemnly, then hurryied over to help his little brother stand. Don came up on Mikey's other side and the two of them supported their little brother between them. Rockwell helped Leatherhead and Slash steady Raphael and Mona Lisa. They made their way down into the sewers and trekked as quickly as they could back to the lair, hoping with all their hearts that it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

 **Well, how was it? Review Please!**

 **P.S. For those who are interested, the title was a reference to Romeo and Juliet since, after all, Juliet stabbed herself with Romeo's dagger.**


	43. Breaking the News

**Ch. 43-Breaking the News**

He groaned. Deafening exclamations and muted murmurs beyond his current level of comprehension spun in the air around him. Blurry gray figures leant eagerly over him as he grappled his way through the final steps of a trek he knew considerably well: the return to consciousness. He could feel the anxiety and uncertainty in the atmosphere surrounding him.

From his left he sensed a tiny flare of excitement and happiness. Michelangelo. Just beyond the youngest, he perceived barely-contained hysteria and a forcibly muted desire for contact that could no longer be denied. Gentle, quaking fingers brushed over his hand softly. Donnie.

Then came another unintelligible mumble from his right. His eyes screwed shut and his snout wrinkled a little in annoyance. Why was he having so much trouble coming out of it? Shell, his side hurt. What had happened? Obviously he'd been injured, but he couldn't remember how. Why was everything so muddled?

Again, the figure on his right uttered something completely garbled. He groaned, struggling to push through to consciousness, to actually open his eyes and see. Every passing second in this strange state of delirium made him increasingly eager to escape. He began to writhe, growling uncomfortably. The pain in his side exploded and his growl became an agonized whimper. Strong hands shot out and held him down. Cold hands, so cold that they made him shiver reflexively. He stopped. Supreme calm rushed over him like the swelling of high tide. _Hush, hush, you're safe. It's alright._ It seemed to say.

His lips parted. His mouth was dry. "Leo…" His voice cracked. Inwardly, he shuddered at how weak and defenseless he sounded. Something in Leo's calm aura shifted and became warm.

Strong arms wrapped gently around him and the warm, calming presence of Leonardo lay beside him and enveloped him. He pressed happily against his older brother in a way that he never would have allowed were he not in so much pain. He was suddenly reminded of their younger days…

* * *

This was stupid. He shouldn't be here. Leo would probably get mad or make fun of him. He shouldn't have come, but his room was so dark and cold. He hugged his pillow tighter and dragged the little blanket from his bed after him. All around were shadows, big, dark shadows that he couldn't see through. They were all through the lair. He was afraid. He didn't want to get eaten. He didn't want to be taken away from his family and devoured by a horrible monster. He was scared. He bit his lip. He shouldn't be here. He should go back to his room.

He turned around and headed back down the hall. Once inside, he closed the door behind him. "There's no such thing as monsters. There's no such thing as monsters. There's no such thing as monsters." He whispered quietly.

But with every passing step, the darkness in the room seemed to grow, getting closer and closer and closer to him. His hands started to shake and his eyes began to water. "There's no such thing as monsters. There's no such thing as monsters!" His volume increased a little, but he was still trying his best to stay quiet. He didn't want to get in trouble with Sensei for waking the others. Suddenly, there was an odd rumbling sound and he jumped back, his eyes wide and fearful. A few bricks came loose from the ceiling and tumbled down into the room, landing only about a foot from where he had been standing just moments previous. He clutched the pillow even tighter and screamed into it, little tears of terror pricking up in the corners of his eyes. He turned on his heels and stormed back to his big brother's room, flinging the door open and closing it roughly behind him.

The little eight-year-old turtle dropped to the ground, pulled his knees to his chest, and sobbed.

"Raph?" A confused voice murmured sleepily.

Raph looked up, terrified to find Leo was drowsily rubbing the sleep away from his big, blue eyes. The younger turtle tried to hide the tears, but Leo didn't buy it for a second.

"Raphie, what's wrong?" He asked, softly. "What's going on?"

"I-I—" Raphael was at a loss for words. He didn't want to tell his big brother that he'd had a nightmare was scared. He wiped the tears away with the back of his hand and sniffled. "Nothing, I'm fine." He said, his young voice rising in pitch a little as he fought another wave of terrified tears.

"Don't lie." Leo said, softly, bending down and snuggling up beside him.

Raph's resistance lasted for a grand total of two and half seconds, then he flung himself against his big brother and wailed. "It's so dark! And they like the dark!"

Leo was confused. "Who?"

"The monsters! They hide in the dark so that they can spring out and eat me!"

"No monster is going to eat you, Raphie." Leo said reassuringly.

"But I saw it, Leo! I was in the dark and it sprung out and it caught me. It was gonna tear me apart and bite me and sting me!"

One of Leo's eye-ridges rose. "What did it look like?"

"It was big! And it had black scary eyes! And bright markings! And lot of legs! Lots and lots of legs! And it was as tall as Master Splinter!"

Leo sighed. "It was just a nightmare, Raphie." He patted the younger turtle's shell encouragingly. "Why don't you go back to bed and try and go back to sleep?"

"NO!" Raph cried, the harshness and volume shocking his older brother. His small body began to tremble violently.

Arms tightening around his little brother, Leo frowned. "You have to go back eventually, Raphie."

Forlornly, Raphael's eyes began to water. His hands clutched tightly at Leo's shell. "It's gonna kill me, Leo! It's gonna take me away! I don't wanna go! I don't wanna go!"

"Never." Leo said resolutely, hugging his little brother so tightly that it squeezed the air out of them both. Raph would never know it, but his words had scared Leo to the point where the eldest was as terrified as he was.

Raph whimpered, hiding his face in his big brother's plastron. "Promise?"

"Promise."

"And Mikey and Donnie, too?"

"And Mikey and Donnie, too." Leo stated confidently, rubbing Raph's shell in a soothing manner.

There was a slight pause. Raph's sniffles died down and he haltingly asked in a tiny, somewhat embarrassed voice, "Can I stay?"

"Yeah."

They curled up side by side on Leo's bed.

"It's okay Raphie. I'll keep you safe." Leo murmured, sleepily. "You'll always be safe with me."

It wasn't until after the eldest was asleep that Raph murmured, "And I'll protect you, Leo. Always."

* * *

"-ph?"

Once again, Raphael felt as though he were teetering on the edge of consciousness. His beak wrinkled a little and he grunted. The figures surrounding him were leaning over him again, excitedly. It was really starting to get on his nerves.

"-aph?"

His eye-ridges furrowed. Someone was calling him. He couldn't process the voice. It was familiar—

"Raph?"

Finally, he forced his eyes open, but shut them again with a displeased hiss at the amount of light shining down on him. More prepared the second time, he slowly squinted and allowed his vision to adjust. It took a bit longer than expected, which meant he'd been out for a rather long while.

"Raph?"

The voice! It was—

"Don?"

There was an audible sigh of relief. He was able to slowly open his eyes the rest of the way. Immediately, he tried to sit up, but was held back. He followed the restraining arms all the way up until he was staring at his older sibling's grim, concerned face. Leo was sitting beside him on the table staring down, disapprovingly.

"Leo—" He was abruptly cut off.

"No, Raphael. You've given us all enough heart attacks for one week."

Raph grinned a little in spite of himself. "That's what you always say."

Leo was not amused. A deep frown bent his lips and marred his face. "We almost lost you, Raph. Lucky for you I'm too relieved and exhausted to be lecturing you right now for disobeying my direct orders."

Disobeying direct orders? Raph frowned. He still couldn't remember what happened. Some kind of battle…they were going to fight…to fight…and something went wrong. Voices shouting…Leo calling a retreat…hitting Leo over the head…going back to get—

"Mona!" It all came surging back to him. He began to struggle frantically and Leo had to practically sit on him to hold him down. Straining his neck, he glanced all the way around the room. "Mona!" No answer. He looked desperately up into his older brother's eyes. "Where is she, Leo?! Is she—"

Leo's hand rested on the center of Raphael's plastron. His throat grew suddenly tight and dry. He valiantly fought back the tears. "Raph—" his voice cracked.

Horror filled Raph's bright green eyes. Horror and pain unlike anything Leonardo had ever seen. He could feel his heart aching at the sight of his younger brother in such torment.

Raph's heart was on the verge of bursting. "Is she—" he squeaked. His tough façade had crumbled. He was frail and on the verge of breaking.

"She's alive." Don's voice said smoothly, but the tone gave Raph no peace of mind.

"But?" he asked.

Don sighed. One of the brainiac's shaky hands landed on his shoulder and dark brown eyes burned directly into Raph's bright green ones.

"She's on life support."

"No." He mewled, any and all resistance to his brothers' restraint faltering. His shell hit the soft surface beneath him with a soft thud. Raph paused and blinked, glancing around. The main room? What was he doing here? Mona? Where was she?

The next thing that his brothers knew, all three of them were struggling to hold him down.

"Raph, stop!"

"Your wound is severe, you can't—"

"Whoa, bro, chill! Easy Raphie!"

"Where is she?! I gotta see her! I gotta see her!"

Donatello frantically held down Raph's shoulders. "Raph! Raph, listen to me."

Raph calmed a little bit and looked at his immediate younger brother.

The amount of pain in Raphael's eyes made bile rise in Donatello's throat. There was absolutely nothing he wouldn't do to get that pain out of his older brother's eyes. He cleared his throat raucously and stammered.

"R-raph, I'll let you see her, but you have to promise me that you'll stop straining yourself. You're in a very delicate state."

"I havta see 'er." Raph choked out, his hand clutching desperately at Donatello's plastron.

Don's eyes began to water. Raphael sounded so broken. Michelangelo sniveled, tears running down his face at the sight of his powerful older sibling in such a state. Leo valiantly contained his emotions and bent down at Raph's side.

"I promise, Raph. We'll get Slash to take you, but please, promise me you'll rest and do everything Donnie tells you to do."

The hothead stared glassy-eyed at his older brother for a few moments. Slowly, the fog cleared and he stared Leo solemnly in the eyes as he nodded. Leo's grip on his shoulder tightened slightly.

"I mean it, Raphael. If you refuse so much as one pain pill or antibiotic, Donnie will tell me and I'll see to it that you get taken to your room to convalesce, understand?"

Raphael nodded, his hand leaving Donnie's plastron to latch onto Leo's. "I promise Leo. Just please…please let me see her!"

The desperation in Raph's voice was the final straw. Leo couldn't stand it any longer. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and he surged forward, gently but firmly wrapping his immediate younger sibling in a firm hug. His shoulders shook with sobs, but he bit his lip to restrain them as best he could.

Reacting in almost slow motion, Raphael's face twisted and finally tears tumbled down his cheeks. With a soft cry, his arms reached up and latched onto Leo's shell, and he sobbed freely against his older brother's shoulder.

Donnie watched, a few tears of his own escaping and running down his face. A pitiful whine left his lips. Michelangelo's head shot up and the youngest latched onto the brainiac. The two of them each placed a hand on their older brothers' shoulders.

Raph's breathy, broken voice rose up through the sobs. "Donnie, will she—"

"The knife did some serious damage. She lost a lot of blood. Some internal organs suffered great trauma. Raph," his voice broke, but he powered through, "I can't lie to you about this. She's in a really poor state."

"Will she live, Donnie?" Raph asked insistently.

Donatello deflated. He wrenched his eyes away from his brothers' questioning stares. "I don't know. I just…don't know."

* * *

 **How was it? Review Please!**


	44. In the Early Hours

**Sorry it took me so long to get this done, everyone! Summer's been a lot busier than I expected it to be! We're almost done! So close! One more chapter down, one to go. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ch. 44-In the Early Hours**

The turtle rubbed his aching forehead with a pained groan. His eyes were red and puffy, shadowed by dark circles. They drifted leadenly to the old clock in the far corner. Three in the morning. His brothers were asleep, or should be if they had any sense. Sometimes he seriously doubted it. He lifted his head and listened a little. Nothing. Maybe they had a little sense after all.

Pain shot up his side and he grit his teeth. Damn wound. Donnie had already tried lecturing him—too many times to count. But he'd kept his word to Leo and obeyed all the brainiac's orders. Took all the painkillers and antibiotics. They made him groggy, but he wouldn't dare fight them, not this time. Normally he'd be truant and see how far he could push Leo's limits, but he couldn't take the chance, not when she needed him.

Raph winced as his wound ached again. Painkillers were probably starting to wear off. He should take a few more, but he wanted to keep a clear head, just for a few minutes.

He leant forward, hovering over the unresponsive form on the table. His fingers lovingly brushed her cheek and he whined, unable to hold back the tears. They spilled from his eyes and silently rolled down his face.

"I love you." He kissed her forehead. "So much."

"She knows."

Raphael practically fell from his seat, but gentle arms caught and stabilized him. He glared up at the familiar face and huffed. Hm. Of course this brother didn't have any sense.

"Go back to bed." Raph said once his brother had lowered him carefully back into his chair.

Arms lifted in surrender, the other turtle said softly, "Just came to see how you were doing."

"Mhm. A checkup at three in the morning."

"Nah, that's Donnie's job, bro." He laughed a little and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm the one-turtle pep-squad."

"Uh-huh. Get lost, Mikey." Raph said, his voice thick with emotion.

Mikey recoiled as though struck and even in his overwhelmed and exhausted state, Raphael realized that he had made a mistake. Before the youngest brother could run off, an emerald hand snatched Mikey's arm.

"Why are you really here, Mikey?"

"Look, it's a bad time…"

 _He's trying to run_ , Raph thought. His eyes narrowed. _I don't think so_.

"No," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Stay, little brother."

"I—I—" Mikey struggled. "Let me go, Raph."

"Not till I get some answers."

"Raphie…"

"Mikey." He growled, warningly. His neon-green eyes flashed with that familiar spark and Michelangelo stopped resisting like his hotheaded brother had just put him in a trance.

Suddenly Raph had a lap full of little brother. He hissed in pain and shoved Mikey off as the enthusiastic hug strained his side.

"Mikey, wound—"

"Oh my gosh, Raph I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Michelangelo apologized profusely, backing away, practically to the other end of the room with a fearful, guilty look on his face.

"It's okay, Mikey. It's okay, really." Raph urged, trying to get his very agitated younger brother to come towards him again.

Hesitantly, Mikey slid back over to him, leaving about five feet of breathing space. It felt empty and strange. He had to find a way to break the ice and get Mikey back in normal Mikey mode. He put on his best pleading face.

"Know if there's any left-over pizza lyin' around down here?"

Raphael's guilt lessened at the way Mikey's face lit up. In seconds, Michelangelo became turtle on a mission. He streamed out of the room and reappeared about ten seconds later, carting five pizza boxes. Raph couldn't help but chuckle.

"I don't think I'll be needing that much, little brother." He said, laughing quietly.

Mikey smiled and chuckled along weakly. "I didn't know what you'd want. There's garlic and mushroom…peanut butter, celery, and raisin…"

Raph blinked.

"Hawaiian—"

"Let me guess: Leo?"

"Uh-huh." Mikey answered automatically, sifting through the pizza boxes. "Classic pepperoni…and an almost intact meat-lover's." Mikey smirked knowingly at his red-masked sibling.

Raph smiled at his little brother. "Why are we even talking? Hand it over."

Mikey beamed and handed it to him, pulling up Don's desk chair and starting with the box that was on top.

The older turtle eyed his younger brother nervously as Mikey began scarfing down pizza, "Slow down. Pizza's not going anywhere."

Mikey paused mid-bite. He chewed more slowly and eyed Raph. "Aren't ya gonna eat?" He asked with his mouth full.

Raph sighed. Oh well. For Mikey.

The hothead really wasn't aware of how hungry he was until he started eating. 'Just one piece' became two, three, finally four pieces. He took his time and chewed slowly, listening to Mikey, who had mastered the art of eating and talking at the same time. When Raph finally closed the box and handed it back to his little brother, Michelangelo was smiling brightly.

"I'm so glad you ate something, Raph. We were worried."

"Eh, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me Mikey. You know I can take care of myself."

"Just 'cause I don't have to doesn't mean I won't, Raphie."

"Aw come here!" Raph grabbed Mikey in a headlock and rubbed the bald head roughly, his way of showing affection.

Mikey laughed and half-heartedly attempted to bat Raph's hands away.

Raph lowered his voice and softly asked, "Is that why you're here? You're worried about me?"

"Not just you." Mikey's gaze drifted over to the unconscious lizard mutant.

"You should get some sleep." Raph said gently.

"So should you."

Raph rubbed his forehead and sighed. His eyes strayed to Mona Lisa. "I can't."

"Neither can I," said Mikey.

"You really are worried aren't you, little brother?"

"No duh, Raph! We're all worried!" Mikey stood and clenched his fists.

"You think I'm not?"

The younger turtle's anger dissipated. "I know you're worried about her, Raph, but you have to—"

Against his better judgment, Raph shoved himself to his shaky feet. He could feel the uneasiness radiating off his younger sibling.

He interrupted Mikey's tirade. "She's not the only one."

Raph shuddered a little and leaned against the chair for support. His gut constricted under the intensity of Mikey's stare. He was suddenly cold. For the first time in his memory, Raphael felt as though he and Michelangelo were worlds apart. It was uncomfortable. Mikey was always the brother easiest for Raph to reach. At arm's length, whenever Raph need him.

Why? Why was Mikey suddenly so distant?

"You don't have to worry about us." Mikey said, snapping the uncomfortable stretch of silence.

"Wise turtle once said: just because I don't have to, doesn't mean I won't."

Mikey shifted uncomfortably.

Raph took a shaky step towards him, and Mikey took an equal step back. Raph froze.

"I think I do, Mikey. I really think I do." The red-masked brother whispered.

The youngest refused to look at him.

Michelangelo turned his carapace to Raph before the hothead could see the tears in his eyes.

When Raph heard a soft sniffle, he stopped in his tracks. With hesitation, he whispered, "Mikey?"

"I hate this, Raph."

"What?" Raph asked. He was a little stunned. 'Hate' was a word that he didn't often hear coming out of his youngest brother's mouth.

"This! All of this! Everyone! You, Sensei, our brothers! All of you, you're always doing this!"

"Mikey, what—"

"You always blow me off."

"I'm not blowing you off, Mikey, I'm asking what's—"

"What do you think is wrong, Raph? Just because I'm youngest doesn't mean I'm a weak link! You guys think that you can just pizza-coat everything and I'll be happy! That I won't notice you're just indulging me! You always expect me to come to you when something's wrong. To open up and let you read me like a book! You guys keep things from me all the time and you act like it's a crime for me to be angry because I'm just the airhead little brother who needs to be shielded."

There was a tense moment of silence.

Raph pressed a hand to his aching side and straightened. He stared hard at Mikey's carapace and said, "What do you want me to do?"

Mikey wiped his eyes and turned his head back in Raph's direction. "Let down the brave face, bro." In a whisper, Mikey said, "It doesn't fool me."

"I can't do that, Mikey," Raph said. "Not for any of you, even if Fearless ordered me to himself."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I'd never be able to pick up all the pieces."

The crack in Raph's voice was Mikey's undoing. He shot forward and wrapped his sibling in a hug. He was afraid Raph would fall apart if he didn't.

"Never meant to hurt you." Raph mumbled.

Mikey hugged tighter. "I know."

"Only wanted to keep you safe."

"I know."

"Keep you happy." Raph whispered, little tears in his eyes. _Guh, the meds Donnie's got me on must be making me super emotional._

"I want you to treat me the same as the others." Mikey whined a little.

"But I don't want ya ta start bein' like the others. I want ya ta stay Mikey." Raph yawned, getting a little sleepy, but refusing to yield.

Mikey grinned. "Raphie, that's ridiculous. You know I'll never stop spreading my awesomeness to the world."

Raph rolled his eyes and yawned again.

"Promise?"

"Promise." Raph said softly.

Mikey wasn't satisfied and shook his head. "Okay, let's take a pledge."

"Mikey." The hothead groaned, but smiled at his younger brother's enthusiasm.

"Repeat after me." Mikey raised Raph's right hand. "I Raph—"

"I Raph—"

"Promise to respect Michelangelo—"

"Promise to respect Mikey—"

"Michelangelo!"

Raph enjoyed the look of lighthearted exasperation on Mikey's face. "That's what I said: promise to respect Mikey."

"Hey, muscle-head, you're repeating after me and I said Michelangelo!"

"Fine. Promise to respect Michelangelo—"

"And not to treat him like a defenseless kid."

"But you're my kid brother. You act like a kid."

Mikey growled good-naturedly at Raph. "Alright. And not to treat him like an incompetent, worthless side-kick."

Raph moved faster than any injured turtle, mutant or not, should be capable of moving. "If I ever made you feel that way, little brother, I'm—sorry. I didn't mean to—"

Mikey briefly hugged his older brother, but pulled away with a devious grin on his face. "Doesn't get you off the hook, Raphie. Finish the pledge."

Raph sighed, but looked directly at Mikey as he said, "And to never treat him like an incompetent, worthless side-kick and if he ever calls himself that again, to kick his shell 'til he takes it back."

Mikey rubbed his chin. "Well, I guess that's good enough."

Raph looked affronted. "Good enough? You get me all sappy and all I get for it is a 'good enough'? C'mere you little…" He tickled his little brother's sides.

Mikey shrieked and shoved Raphael back into his chair. The hothead chuckled. Laughing resurrected the pain in his side. He grimaced.

"Donnie'll pound in my skull if he finds out I didn't take another pain killer."

"Where are they?" Mikey asked.

"Over there." Raph motioned with his head.

Mikey grabbed the bottle of pills and took one out, handing Raph the cup of water from beside them. Raph downed the pill and made a disgruntled noise.

"Hate those things." Raph's eyes drifted to the bandages on Mikey's shoulder. "Shouldn't you be taking some, too?"

"Don took me off 'em yesterday. Still aches a little, but it's not that bad. Won't get full mobility back for another week or so, though."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Not your fault."

"Yeah it is. You got it protecting me."

"Payback for all the scrapes you've saved me, then. It's only right, Raphie."

"I was saving you the pain." Raph justified.

"And I was saving your life."

Raph didn't even attempt to argue. "Thanks."

Mikey waved it off. "I know you'd do the same for me."

"Damn right I would."

Mikey smiled and they fell into a comfortable silence.

* * *

The next morning when Don entered the lab, he found the two bright-masked turtles passed out and snoring softly. There were several pizza boxes scattered across the floor. Two were empty and the others had attracted the attention of a group of _Periplaneta americana_ , otherwise known as the common cockroach. He sighed.

 _Better get these out of here before Raph wakes up_ , he thought, gathering up the pizza boxes. Don took care to make sure that none of the insects went scuttling off in the direction of his sleeping brother.

Waking up with a cockroach on his face would not only put Raph in a dour mood, it would start him up on an extermination rampage. And the hothead was in no shape to be chasing after anything.

Just as Donnie finished disposing of the cockroach-laden refuse, Leonardo walked smoothly into the lab. The eldest took a good, long look at the two turtles blissfully unaware of his presence and turned to Don.

"Has Mikey been in here all night?" Leo asked in a whisper.

Don shrugged his shoulders. "No idea, but I found some empty pizza boxes, so at least they ate."

"You mean at least Mikey ate." Leo said.

"I think they both did. Most of the meat-lover's that Mikey was saving for Raph was gone."

"You threw it out?"

"Roaches."

"Ah." Leo nodded in comprehension. He glanced beyond his brothers to Mona Lisa, then he turned back to Donatello. The question was wordless.

"There's actually been a little improvement. She's slowly starting to breath on her own again."

"That's good, right?" Leo asked.

"Very good. I'm hopeful for a full recovery."

"Hopeful?" Leo said, for clarification.

"Hopeful." Don reaffirmed.

There was brief silence.

"Soon?" Leo's eyes were fixed on Raph's sleeping form.

Don huffed. "Hard to tell."

"He needs her back."

"I know, but we can't rush this type of recovery," Don said.

"I know."

The breathy, barely-there quality to Leo's tone jolted Don with memories of his eldest brother lying unresponsive in a bathtub.

"You probably know better than any of us." The brainiac whispered.

Leo was quick to soothe his younger sibling. "She's in the best possible hands. Besides, she's as stubborn as Raph. There's no way she'll stay out of action any longer that she needs to."

Donnie smiled. "You're right, Leo."

"Of course I am, Donnie."

* * *

 **There we go! Second to last chapter complete! Apologies again for it taking so long.**

 **How was it?**


	45. Just be Silent

**Well, it's been two years since I first joined the Fanfiction community. I can hardly believe it. What better way to mark the day than with the long awaited final chapter of The Silent Partner!**

* * *

 **Ch. 45-Just be Silent**

"Hey." A familiar voice called through the haze.

Raphael's eye-ridges furrowed and he shook his head.

"Wake up, sleepy-head," the voice urged.

Gentle hands nudged him. He groaned and swatted them away.

"Raph." The speaker's eye-ridges lowered and he stared flatly at the uncooperative brother. He sighed.

Someone else came to loom over Raph's bedside. They turned knowingly to the frustrated-looking older turtle. "Won't wake up, huh?"

"Nope."

Donatello sighed and shook his head. "We should let him rest. He's still recovering, after all."

"He's going to kill us when he wakes up," Leo said.

"No he won't. He'll be too busy panicking and storming about."

"Don't you think we should—"

"He has to rest, Leo. The stress is slowing his recovery enough as it is. In his current condition, the only reason he hasn't contracted some kind of infectious disease is because of the mountain of antibiotics I've been dumping into his system."

"You think he's still in danger?"

"Until that part of his shell is completely healed, he's always in danger."

Leo's face paled.

Don sighed and lifted his hands. "Don't start, Leo. Worrying only puts more strain on everybody else."

Leonardo frowned, but nodded. After a short pause and a glance at their sleeping brother, he asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

Don paused and glanced thoughtfully at Raph's sleeping form. Slowly, he nodded.

"Stay with Raph. Try and make sure he doesn't hurt himself too much whenever he does decide to return to the world of the lucid."

"Okay. Do you need my help changing Mikey's bandages first?"

Donnie shook his head. "No, Leo, just stay with Raph."

"We're behind in the dish washing, someone's got to take care of that. The pile's almost as high as the ceiling. I need to make Master Splinter's tea. I should probably do that before I sit with Raph. And I need to sort out the candles, April bought a whole bunch and shoved them in a box. They got all mixed up. I need to organize them by type. After that I should—"

"Leo," Don interrupted.

Leo looked at him.

Don's eyes narrowed and he pointed at the chair next to Raph's. "Sit."

"But Donnie, I need to run and do those things before—"

"Sit!"

Leo sat. "Don, can't I at least get the box of candles—"

"No. Stay right in that chair until Raph wakes up."

"But Don—"

"No. A billion times: No!" Don rubbed his temples in exasperation. "Sit. Stay."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Bossy."

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to." Leo crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

Don smiled. "Leo, when you're worried, you start trying to do everybody else's job around here. You've already finished the greater half of this month's chores, including mine and Mikey's shares."

"Well, Mikey's injured and you're taking care of everyone—"

"Including you. You've gotten so obsessive you're scaring Mikey." Don said, flatly.

Leo's eyes widened a little. "Is that why he hasn't been around very much lately?"

"He's trying to avoid you. I know you're only trying to help, Leo, but you need to cool off a little bit. Relax."

"Relax?! That isn't easy to do, when my brothers are recovering from life-threatening injuries and Mona Lisa is still unconscious."

"Key word: recovering. Everything's okay, Leo, and though we're aren't back to normal yet, we will be soon." Don patted Leo's shoulder.

Leo sighed and his too-tense shoulders loosened. "I hope you're right."

"I am, bro. With Mona breathing on her own again, I've got a good feeling things will be a lot better soon."

"Good." Leo fell back into the chair next to Raph's.

Don started to leave, but turned back to tell Leo, "When he wakes up, try and keep him calm."

"He's Raph, Don."

"I know."

* * *

Raph's heavy eyelids fluttered open a few hours later. The first thing he noticed was soft, even breathing beside him, and he blinked over at his older brother.

Leo was leaning back in the chair, arms hanging limply off the sides, and head lolling down towards his plastron. He was sound asleep.

That figures, Raph thought. Fearless had been strung up tighter than a ladies' corset the past few days, and it was suffocating all of them, including himself. For the most part, Leo had been running around outside the lab doing everything and anything that had needed doing in the lair. When he wasn't busy jumping down the others' throats he was hovering around in the lab twitching and carving a groove in the floor with his pacing. A few times, Raph had kicked him out because his anxiety was just too contagious, but most of the time, Raph was too focused on Mona Lisa to bother.

Wait.

Mona Lisa. The monitors.

Where was the sound of the monitors? The goddam beepy things weren't beeping. No!

Raph's head shot up so fast he got shell-lash. The lab table was completely clean. Mona was gone. What the shell was going on? Where was Mona Lisa? Why would they move her without telling him? Or without moving him too?

Unless…

No! No! She couldn't—she couldn't be…No! He wouldn't believe that. He couldn't believe that. They would have told him, they would have let him know. Unless they thought it would be easier…No! He told himself. He sprung out of his chair too quickly. His wound protested. He hissed but pushed past the pain, frantically looking about for any signs of Mona Lisa. In his graceless panic, the ninja stampeded directly into the chair beside him.

Leo awoke with a flash and snapped upright like a twig in a storm. His sleep-dazed eyes raked over his surroundings. He rubbed a hand over his face and tossed a bewildered stare in Raph's direction.

"What—"

"Where is she?! Where is she, Leo?! What happened? Is she okay? Is she…" Raph's voice cracked and tears glistened in his eyes.

Raph's words woke Leo like a slap to the face. He sprang upon his sibling to offer comfort. He hadn't seen Raph look so frightened since they were children.

"Hush, it's okay. Mona Lisa is perfectly fine. She's breathing on her own again now. Don thought she'd been more comfortable waking up in non-lab surroundings. We moved her to her room."

Emerald green hands wrapped around Leo's forearms and squeezed. He was hyperventilating.

Leo gripped Raph's arms and looked deep into his little brother's eyes.

"Leo," Raph took a few rapid breaths. He wanted to say more, but all he could manage was, "Okay?"

Leo nodded emphatically. "Mona's fine." He gripped Raph's arms a little tighter. "Look at me, Raph, look at me."

Raph did.

"Good, now breathe. C'mon. Slow. In and out. In—and out." He coached.

Raph obeyed. His breathing calmed a little and he flung his arms around his big brother.

Leo blinked, but soon melted into the embrace. He could feel Raph's entire body trembling and grew uneasy. He shouldn't have fallen asleep. If he hadn't he might have been able to cool Raph off before now. He'd expected Raph to panic, but the amount of fear in Raph's eyes had been staggering.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Raph asked.

"I tried, you wouldn't wake up. Don said to let you rest."

Raph trembled a little bit more.

Leo hugged him tighter.

Suddenly, Raphael realized he was letting his older brother hug him far longer than he normally would, and he wriggled away.

"Needing comfort doesn't make you weak, Raph." Leo whispered.

"I don't like hugs," Raph justified.

"Sure," Leo said.

There was a minute or two of silence.

"I'm going to see Mona."

"Don says she'll probably wake up soon. She should make a full recovery."

Leo watched as the clouds cleared from Raph's eyes for the first time in weeks. Raph nodded and started to push past his older brother, but Leo stopped him.

"Raph, I'm worried about you."

The hothead growled. He really didn't want to deal with this right now. "Leo—" he warned, but Fearless cut him off.

"I'm serious, Raphael. Donnie says that the stress you've put yourself under is slowing your healing processes and putting you at greater risk."

"Of course I'm damned stressed, Leo! How can I not be?"

"I know, but—"

"Mona needs me. I'm going to be there by her side until she gets better." Raph growled. His eyes just dared his brother to try and object.

Leo's face bent into a sad, weary frown. "I'm not trying to stop you, but you'll be no good to her if you end up contracting an infection. We almost lost you twice at the hands of that scientist. I'm not going to lose you to carelessness." Fearless' face was stronger than steel.

"Leo—"

"I know that Mona's recovery will be stressful. I know she'll need your support more than anyone's, but we're here, too, Raphael. We can help. Please, don't forget Mona's not the only one recovering."

Raph sighed. "I won't, Leo. Like ya say, I'm gonna need to be there for her. I know you're worried, but don't push too hard. Pushing only leads to structural collapse."

"Whose? Yours or mine?" Leo asked, grinning wanly.

Raph's eye-ridges rose in amusement. "Knowing us? Both."

* * *

Donatello heard a familiar tread stomping down the hallway and stopping outside the door. He straightened up from where he had been checking his instruments. Mona Lisa was doing much better, but he was still monitoring her progress with utmost care. Nothing was going to slip by him if he could help it.

The door opened silently on its hinges.

Raph was trying very hard to quiet his breathing. Probably because he thought the notes Donnie was scrawling on his clipboard paper were critical.

"How was your rest?" Don asked.

"Fine."

Don's eyes rose from the paper. Raph's tone was clipped. That was never a good sign. He turned towards the hothead and didn't like what he saw. Raph looked worse than he had before he'd fallen asleep. Don frowned.

"I'm going to the lab to grab my other equipment. I want to examine you."

"You'll keep your hands off," Raph said.

"I need to look you over." Don retorted, reaching for Raph's forehead to see if he had a fever.

Raph's eyes narrowed, "Hands off." He swatted the hand away.

Alarms rang in Donnie's head. Raphael was exhibiting extreme irritability, tiredness, and hostility. Danger, his mind screamed. Code red. Raph was furious. He brought his hand back to his side because he didn't want it bitten off by a snappy turtle.

"I thought she was dead, Donnie."

"What?" Don asked, freezing to the spot.

"I woke up and she was gone. What the shell—"

Donnie stepped forward and against his better judgment, allowed his instincts to take over. He wrapped the snarling hothead in a tight hug. "I'm sorry. You needed the rest."

Raph twisted away. "I've had enough of you guys telling me what I need, Donatello."

Donnie gulped. Full names never boded well with Raph. He allowed a few seconds for the air to clear before he opened his mouth, but it was no use. Raph wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise.

"You checked her over?"

"Yes." Don confirmed.

"She's fine for now?"

"Yes, I'll try to examine her every couple of hours, though, to see if there are any changes." The brainiac said casually.

Raph turned his carapace to his immediate younger sibling. His voice, cold and thick, tolled through the room. "Then get out."

Donnie's feet rooted to the spot. His eyes widened. "But I need to look you over—"

"No. Just get out."

"Raph—"

"GET OUT!"

In the not-so-distant background, their other family members were shouting questions to each other. Soon they would soon descend upon Raph and Donnie with worried faces.

The yell was all Donnie could take. He snapped. Though his temper wasn't as short as Raph's, all the turtles knew to be wary of it.

"I'd be happy to. Go die of septicemia, for all I care!" Don shouted at the top of his lungs.

Raph's face fell. His anger had been sucked up by his younger brother and spat back out at him like a fowl sewer apple.

"Donatello!" Splinter scolded from the doorway, where he had appeared sometime in the past few seconds while his arguing son's weren't paying attention.

Donatello slowly descended from his cloud of rage and realized exactly what had been said. Horror-struck, he took three steps back.

Raph stepped forward and tried to apologize. "Donnie, I—"

Don shook his head vehemently from side to side and appeared to still be in shock. "I didn't mean that." He said. It didn't adequately summarize his meaning.

Raph nodded and attempted to get closer, but Don continued to back away from him.

At the door, Don paused and stumbled over his words. "I—I'm going to—should probably—I need to go."

He was gone.

Raph immediately felt guilty. He thought about going after Don, but his eyes lingered on Mona Lisa. He sighed and sat by her bedside. Don needed space. Raph could apologize later.

Mikey's worried eyes lingered on Raphael for a few seconds, before he glanced at Leo. Their eyes met and informed his big brother of his plans. Leo nodded somewhat remotely and Mikey was off. He took off after Donatello at a gentle run.

He trailed his purple-masked brother through the sewers for miles. Don stopped at a very familiar spot. They all knew this place. Raphael had found it when they were kids. It was one of the places the hothead fled to when he was upset. Huh. He hadn't realized Don used it, too.

"So this is where you run off to whenever you have a major fight with Raph, huh?"

"Just leave me alone, Mikey."

"No can do." Mikey sat next to his brother.

Donnie looked over at him.

"Leo and I split the difference. I'm with you and he's with Raph. Can't go back without ya, bro. Leo'll buy cattle."

"It's 'have a cow', Mikey." Donnie smiled.

Mikey shrugged. "Same thing." He paused and stared down the tunnel. "It's a great idea, though. Just think, we could protect our cattle from rustlers, talk with funny accents, and wear hats!" He said excitedly, his eyes sparkling.

Don chuckled. "That's ridiculous, Mikey."

"Yeah, you're right. It would be so much cooler if they were alien space cattle."

Don smiled and rolled his eyes. Silence settled between them and Mikey watched Don's face stiffen.

"Buck for your thoughts?"

"Penny," Donnie corrected.

"Inflation."

The brainiac shot his little brother a withering glance. "I don't think you fully grasp that concept."

"Meh." Mikey shrugged.

There were a lot of heavy memories here. Ghostly versions of his brothers: smaller, younger, with clipped bandana-tails and great, big eyes. They danced in front of Mikey's eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" Donnie asked.

"That's my question." Mikey replied, impertinently, grinning from cheek to cheek.

"Then you should be asking it. You're quiet."

"So?"

Don lifted an eye-ridge, "You and quiet?" He shook his head. "Never a good thing."

Mikey scoffed, wearing a dim version of his usual grin, "True."

Don briefly wondered whether Mikey's arm was bothering him.

"It's just—" Mikey looked over and ran a hand over his head. "—Lots of old times here, ya know?"

Glancing around with vacant eyes, Don agreed. "Yeah, guess I didn't really think about it."

He didn't even know how long it had taken him to get here. He wasn't even coming here. At least, he didn't realize he was. His feet just kinda took him there. Maybe it was what happened that guided him, who knows. But he was here.

"You know that Raph didn't take what you said seriously, right?"

Anger rose up from within the brainiac. "But I took it seriously, Mikey."

"I know you didn't mean it."

"I was serious, Mikey," Don reiterated.

"You were angry." Mikey corrected.

"It doesn't matter. I said it, and when I said it, I meant it." Don sighed. "I can't believe that I said that to him. It-It really scares me that I could even think something like that."

"Donnie, we've all said things like that sometimes. It happens. We're bros and we get mad at each other. And we aren't us when we're angry. We say things that we would never actually mean. I'm sure Raphie gets that better than any of the rest of us."

"But Mikey—"

"Look, I don't know all that happened, but I know my bros. Trust me Don, whatever happened I'm sure that it was partially Raph's fault, too. Raph'll probably be waiting for you when we get back and you two can hug it out." Mikey said, slinging an arm over Donnie's shoulders.

"Hug it out? Are we talking about the same brother?" Don snorted playfully.

Mikey laughed. They walked side by side. During the few minutes of silence that passed between them, Donnie sincerely hoped that Mikey was right. The last thing he needed, under all his current pressure, was to have Raph against him. Though Raph would never really be against any of them, the hothead did occasionally hold grudges. Mikey pulled him out of his stupor with a shaky cough.

"You think Raph and Mona will get all that stuff between them sorted out?"

The brainiac's eye-ridges rose. "What stuff?"

"Well, ya know…before we went in to the fight, Raph and Mona were already kind of—riding on two pieces of a broken skateboard, ya know what I'm saying?"

"Mikey, I don't think anyone in New York knows what you're saying."

"Hey!" Mikey's arm shot out and prodded his brother in the side. "I mean, since they had that fight, they'd kinda…"

Don's hand flew up and silenced the younger turtle. "I know, but whatever happens now it's going to be between those two."

"But Don, don't you think we should—"

"No. Interfering will only push them further apart. Let them be, Mikey." Donnie warned.

Mikey sighed. "I guess you're right. But what if Mona can't convince Raph to—you know? I mean, he was real upset."

"I don't think Raph will be the one needing convincing."

"Why not?" Mikey asked.

Don looked his little brother in the eyes. Mikey's feet briefly stopped moving forward. He scurried to catch up with the brainiac. No words were needed. Mikey knew what Donnie meant. Of course it would be Mona. After what happened…Raph would have to work hard to convince her that they could have a relationship, even after what happened. But what if she wouldn't listen? What if she blamed herself? If that happened, Mikey was ready to talk some sense into her, like a good little brother should for the sake his older brother's happiness. It was the least he could do. Especially for Raphie.

* * *

Donnie went back in to check on Mona Lisa about two hours later. The second the air shifted, Raphael knew that he was no longer alone. He could tell from the footsteps who it was. He got to his feet. Don tossed him a look of admonition and gestured him to sit back down, but Raph didn't listen.

"Look, Don, about—"

"Raph," Don put his hands on Raph's shoulders. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his older brother and continued, "I'm sorry. I can't believe I said something so horrible. Please forgive me."

"Wasn't just you." Raph said scratchily, calmly accepting the embrace. "I'm sorry too."

Don shook his head. "You were worried and stressed."

"So were you." Raph retorted calmly.

The genius had to concede the point. In fact, he decided to press it. "About you."

"Donnie…don't." Raph wrapped his arms around his brother and squeezed.

Donatello felt calm for the first time all afternoon. "I—I—I didn't mean what I said, Raph."

"I know, Don. I know."

* * *

"Mona?"

She groaned and twisted her head from side to side.

"Mona. Mona, can you hear me?"

Her face crinkled up. Her eyes opened a little, but it was bright, so she closed them again.

"Mona Lisa." The sweet, gentle voice called. It sounded worried. Worried about her? Who would be worried about her? What happened? Where was she? Who was—

The answer presented itself. She forced her eyes open just a crack and searched for the face to match the voice.

"Raph…" she sounded froggy and strained.

"Mona," there was relief in Raph's tone. His hand traced her jaw.

Mona let him continue, his fingers brushing sweetly against her cheek. She smiled and leaned into it.

"Raph…" she repeated.

His lips pressed softly against her forehead. She hummed. Whatever had happened, this was a nice way to wake up.

"Can you open your eyes?" Raph asked, sounding timid.

Mona did her best and opened her eyes wide enough that she could see his entire face. He looked handsome…but tired. Exhausted. There were rings under his eyes so dark he might not have slept for days. His face lit up like a firework at the sight of her eyes staring into his. It made her heart swell. And—he was holding her hand. How sweet. She brushed his cheek affectionately.

"Hi."

"Hi." Raph was very choked up. "It's so good to see you like this."

"How else would I be?" She whispered.

"You've been unconscious for—a long time."

Mona Lisa didn't miss the crack in Raph's voice. She started to sit up, but fell back down at the sharp pain in her abdomen. Suddenly, images flashed in her mind's eye. Raphael…The scientist, the mission…the fog of mind-control…Raph returning…and then—

No. She couldn't have. She-she had nearly— She released the hothead's hand faster than a hot cooking utensil.

"Mona?" Raph's eyes were wide with alarm.

"I-I could have killed you. I-I-I nearly did kill you."

Raph shook his head. Anger clouded his face. "Don't ever think that. That wasn't you. Not really. You were under her control."

Mona's hands slid down to Raph's side and anxiously peered at it. He grabbed them and pressed them to his face instead. "Mona—I know that before the mission, I told you that I didn't want to—but now I-I'd like to—"

"No."

His bright green eyes filled with hurt. "Mona…"

"No, Raphael. I nearly killed you! You can't love me."

He grabbed both of her hands. "But I do."

"You shouldn't."

"Not gonna let that stop me. I love you." Raph remarked, stubbornly.

Mona wasn't going to accept that. "You almost died."

"So did you."

"Raph—"

Raph looked deep into her eyes. One of his fingers traced her lips. "Mona, please. We both have long recoveries ahead of us. I know that isn't the best time for a second shot at our relationship, but…Let's take it slow."

"You sure you still want me?"

His hand on her cheek tightened firmly. "Couldn't be more sure." He kissed her chastely on the lips.

Mona Lisa smiled as he pulled away from the kiss. "Okay…slow."

"Slow." He said, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.

She beamed at him and leaned into his embrace. Her eyes grew heavy with sleep. "Slow…" she murmured drowsily.

Raph smiled. "Sleep well. I—" He blinked as a light-green finger pressed to his lips.

"Shhh. Don't say it. Save the words. It makes them more special." Mona Lisa smiled and signed: 'I love you'

 **FIN**

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed the Silent Partner! How was it? Review please!**


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